On listening to stories
I've been concocting this post for a few days because I've been meditating a lot on fear- on the topic of fear, not on my fears themselves.
Aaron and I watched a TED talk on what fear can teach us about a week ago. I mentioned in a previous post how we are really enjoying TED talks- or were before I entered back into the real world of work. TED's tag line is "Ideas worth spreading." It is a website and app with 3-60 minute talks on every topic. While secular, I've found so many of the points so true and in a way biblical. Only, the speaker is not backing it up with scripture. I love how God has still wired us to be passionate people and to see him and his creation even if we're not calling it His- crazy.
In the TED talk, the speaker explains how our fears could also be called "stories." They are stories we create in our mind about something that may happen. She gives the example of these sailors on the whale ship Essex (a true story) who were stranded at sea and listened to the wrong story: cannibals. They thought there were cannibals at the nearest island. So instead, they stayed aboard and most of them starved to death before they made it back to their land. She explains how they could have listened to the more likely "story of starvation" -a real fear that may have made them look past the unlikely possibility of cannibals on this remote island. Then, they would have found out that the island was really Tahiti- a land not inhabited by cannibals- and many could have been saved.
___________________________
It's early on Monday morning and I am sitting in the light of a small lamp thinking about the coming week- back to work, back to house church, back to real life. No more breaks. Even though I love real life, I forget the good stories. I remember the hard conversations, the worries about things getting done on time, the fears, the fears, the fears. And I feel my back starting to tighten again. Oh no.
So I get down on my knees. No not this time, not anymore.
The Bible is laid out in front of me and I am reminded of the TED talk- what story will I listen to? I open my eyes and read the words, "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack." [Psalm 23:1]. There it is- bread right in front of me. I am not hungry anymore. The fear melts. Thank you Jesus.
I write that verse on a notecard and stick it in my pocket. Leaving it there to burn a hole to my heart.
What story will I listen to?
____________________________
My mind is so good at creating these elaborate stories about all the things that might go wrong in a day, because I want to be prepared. That's not bad, right? When this conversation comes up, how will I handle it? When this child misbehaves, what will I do? When this person says a snide remark, what will I say?
When. Not if. Suddenly I am spiraling because I've created these "when" senarios. So they are going to happen, it's going to be bad, and right now, in this moment, before a single thing has happened, I am reacting. I am stressed. I am jealous. I am angry. I am tired. I am upset. Wow. How did that happen?
This week, each time, I have stopped and asked myself- what story will I listen to?
I step back from this fear and look up. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. That is the story I will listen to. If these when situations do occur, the Lord will guide me. He is in control. He is the good shepherd. And I can feel the tension leave me.
__________________________
I am reminded of a similar story of a storm in the Bible- a well known one- when Jesus calms the storm. It's the same set up as the men on the Essex. They are on a boat. A violent storm arises and they are absolutely terrified. There is nothing in their man power that can save them. They cannot steer the ship or control the sails. They are hanging on for dear life as water pounds the open deck. Only in this boat are Jesus' disciples- men he has been walking with, talking with. They have seen Him do miracles. And still they are terrified. They wake Jesus up- he's so not concerned he's sleeping!- "Lord save us! We're going to die!"
And he said to them, "Why are your fearful- you of little faith?" Then he calmed the sea.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this- even the winds and the sea obey Him?" [Matthew 8:23-27].
These men listened to the story of the wind and waves instead of the story of the creator of the wind and waves. In that moment, they forgot the blind men seeing, the leper cleansed, the paralyzed walking, the sick well again. Their eyes were on the storm.
The opposite of our great fear is great faith. When their fear was great, Jesus said they had "little faith." I do not need to fear the what ifs because I serve the creator of all things. He will use all things to bring glory to His name and good to his people.
I am amazed and thankful. God is merciful. Before His disciples repent or even answer his question, he calms the storm. He is merciful. He is gracious. Thank you Jesus. You are my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
Aaron and I watched a TED talk on what fear can teach us about a week ago. I mentioned in a previous post how we are really enjoying TED talks- or were before I entered back into the real world of work. TED's tag line is "Ideas worth spreading." It is a website and app with 3-60 minute talks on every topic. While secular, I've found so many of the points so true and in a way biblical. Only, the speaker is not backing it up with scripture. I love how God has still wired us to be passionate people and to see him and his creation even if we're not calling it His- crazy.
In the TED talk, the speaker explains how our fears could also be called "stories." They are stories we create in our mind about something that may happen. She gives the example of these sailors on the whale ship Essex (a true story) who were stranded at sea and listened to the wrong story: cannibals. They thought there were cannibals at the nearest island. So instead, they stayed aboard and most of them starved to death before they made it back to their land. She explains how they could have listened to the more likely "story of starvation" -a real fear that may have made them look past the unlikely possibility of cannibals on this remote island. Then, they would have found out that the island was really Tahiti- a land not inhabited by cannibals- and many could have been saved.
___________________________
It's early on Monday morning and I am sitting in the light of a small lamp thinking about the coming week- back to work, back to house church, back to real life. No more breaks. Even though I love real life, I forget the good stories. I remember the hard conversations, the worries about things getting done on time, the fears, the fears, the fears. And I feel my back starting to tighten again. Oh no.
So I get down on my knees. No not this time, not anymore.
The Bible is laid out in front of me and I am reminded of the TED talk- what story will I listen to? I open my eyes and read the words, "The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack." [Psalm 23:1]. There it is- bread right in front of me. I am not hungry anymore. The fear melts. Thank you Jesus.
I write that verse on a notecard and stick it in my pocket. Leaving it there to burn a hole to my heart.
What story will I listen to?
____________________________
My mind is so good at creating these elaborate stories about all the things that might go wrong in a day, because I want to be prepared. That's not bad, right? When this conversation comes up, how will I handle it? When this child misbehaves, what will I do? When this person says a snide remark, what will I say?
When. Not if. Suddenly I am spiraling because I've created these "when" senarios. So they are going to happen, it's going to be bad, and right now, in this moment, before a single thing has happened, I am reacting. I am stressed. I am jealous. I am angry. I am tired. I am upset. Wow. How did that happen?
This week, each time, I have stopped and asked myself- what story will I listen to?
I step back from this fear and look up. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. That is the story I will listen to. If these when situations do occur, the Lord will guide me. He is in control. He is the good shepherd. And I can feel the tension leave me.
__________________________
I am reminded of a similar story of a storm in the Bible- a well known one- when Jesus calms the storm. It's the same set up as the men on the Essex. They are on a boat. A violent storm arises and they are absolutely terrified. There is nothing in their man power that can save them. They cannot steer the ship or control the sails. They are hanging on for dear life as water pounds the open deck. Only in this boat are Jesus' disciples- men he has been walking with, talking with. They have seen Him do miracles. And still they are terrified. They wake Jesus up- he's so not concerned he's sleeping!- "Lord save us! We're going to die!"
And he said to them, "Why are your fearful- you of little faith?" Then he calmed the sea.
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this- even the winds and the sea obey Him?" [Matthew 8:23-27].
These men listened to the story of the wind and waves instead of the story of the creator of the wind and waves. In that moment, they forgot the blind men seeing, the leper cleansed, the paralyzed walking, the sick well again. Their eyes were on the storm.
The opposite of our great fear is great faith. When their fear was great, Jesus said they had "little faith." I do not need to fear the what ifs because I serve the creator of all things. He will use all things to bring glory to His name and good to his people.
I am amazed and thankful. God is merciful. Before His disciples repent or even answer his question, he calms the storm. He is merciful. He is gracious. Thank you Jesus. You are my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
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