I believe every one of us loves a good story. And it doesn’t matter where and when someone has lived, story impacts all of us. And there’s a reason why. The story of our earth and humanity has its roots in purity and goodness. But today (obviously) our world is quite the opposite.
Every story has a basic structure and only gets more complicated and dynamic. I have Donald Miller to thank for this, from a blog post he did many years ago now — I do not believe it’s available anymore. But in that blog he shared a simple structure of story that keeps the listener/reader/watcher engaged from beginning to end, provided it’s done well:
- A character
- Who wants something
- And has to overcome an obstacle
- To get it
Add a few layers of other characters, smaller aspirations to help move the character along in his or her development and of course more conflict and tension and a story could be drawn out over years or decades, a lifetime — or millenia.
I love how Pixar does it. Is it just me or does nearly every movie have the viewer so emotionally involved with the character and hero, you hardly notice the next 90 minutes as the story unfolds and reaches its intended climax? My favorite of all of them is Toy Story 2. You can’t create a better opening scene than one of Toy Story’s original heroes, Buzz Lightyear getting half of his little body vaporized and cutting to Rex trying to play the game! I must have watched that with my kids 50 times.
In this first episode, I share a little about how got to where I am now in Colorado with a precious little family of four. I’ll include, until all is updated to now, my story within The Story for a few episodes.
However, I want this ministry to go beyond me telling my story. I want to be sure and include yours. I’d like for us to spend time hearing more on your story. Yes, I’d like to interview you on my podcast! I have two or three questions to answer for you to consider how to share:
- How does your story fit into and integrate The Story?
- What part of your story do you believe can help others in our audience with their story?
- (Bonus) How has your story been healed?
Finally, this ministry is also me living out my own calling, as you’ll hear about. That is, a ministry of teaching. From the very first weeks of my Christian experience, I believe God was calling me into teaching his Word. There were seasons when I would do it weekly or more and years when I would simply be learning more myself. But as I enter middle age and after nearly three decades of being a Christian, the season I hope never ends is me teaching from the Bible and especially on how this Story is winding down.
“But wait there’s more!”
Not only is The Story winding down, as I read from in this episode from The Chronicles of Narnia, this Story of Redemption is but a small interlude — an emergency of crisis — carved out of an otherwise perfect eternity and Creation. There’s so much more after this Story is over. And by the grace of God, he has given me a few snippets of pictures of what is to come. I realize more than anyone, these are only glimpses of what could be. I may be way off. I’m sure even if what God has revealed to me is a speck of truth, the reality will be infinitely more than any infinitesimal picture I have in my mind. I can’t wait to share those on the podcast.
Please share in the comments you’d like to be on the podcast. Please include a valid email address and I’ll be in touch. I look forward to hearing your story!