Stories as big as a Gruffalo

My daughter loves to create stories.

From my earliest memories, I remember reading bedtime stories to her. For hours, tucked under flashlight-lit blankets, we read about the Bible, Clifford, and anything Dr. Seuss. The story we played on perpetual repeat, though, was the Gruffalo -- a story about a monstrous giant, haplessly tricked by a tiny mouse. As she grew older,  listening to stories turned into repeating stories which turned into making up stories of her own. Her love for story has bloomed ever since.

One night, she stopped reading to ask me a deep, six-year-old question. ""Why do I love stories so much?"

It's a sneaky question, I thought. Simple in its complexity. "Well, God designed us to be storytellers. We learn stories so we can better know Him. We share them so others might know Him, too!"

Flipping through her writing pad of stories, she paused. "I don't think my stories will ever be good enough to share. I don't have a Gruffalo." 

Of course, I know her stories will be well received. I also understand why she's hesitant to share. Let's look at a few reasons why this applies to us as Christians.

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What's the story?

The foundation of our story as Christians is the testimonial -- a church-y way of describing the story of our transformation. There's no right or wrong way to share a testimonial, of course, but most of them go something like this:

May name is "Bob." I thought I was a Christian. I mean, I prayed at bedtime and believed in God. Then, something really epic happened to me, and I found myself in a dark place. Before I knew it, God began moving in my life. Now, I’m in this magical place, and I’m not struggling any more. 

This one might seem even more compelling:

My name is Rick. I'm a rock musician, and I live a chaotic life of sin, struggle, and addiction. My life was in an epic shambles, and I feel like I'm standing on a cliff. Behind me, out of reach, is redemption. Below me is death. I was facing an existential crossroads. Then, I encountered Jesus, and everything worked out! The End!

My story isn't big enough

In Luke 18:9-4, Jesus tells the story of a tax collector and Pharisee praying to God in the temple. You probably remember the story -- the Pharisee loudly shares his prayer skills to the world while the tax collector is content just be there, pouring his brokenness to God. God blessed the lowly tax collector while rebuking the Pharisee. What never happened? God never compared the two. He never made a point to remind us how he loves one more than the other.

Is this you? Do you compare your story to others? If so, you're not alone.

‍Most of us will never experience epic stories of transformation, so we hesitate to share tales of our own brokenness. Held up against the mirror of everyone's perfectly crafted, photographed, and curated stories on social media, this isn't surprising because we believe the lie perpetuated by society that our story just isn’t epic enough to move someone to find Jesus.

After all, why would anyone care about our personal story of darkness followed by grace when someone else's story is so much more impactful? These are lies, of course, perpetuated by an enemy whose sole existence is fueled by our silence.

You don't need a Gruffalo to find favor with Jesus. In His eyes, you will always be enough ...

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My story is old news

Stories of redemption are ongoing. They're not movies or books, and we never stamp "the end" on the last page. The beauty of God's work with us is in its eternity. He never gives up on our story.

Brothers and sisters in Christ carry a special burden to remind fellow Christians that our story is ongoing, even after the big moment. 

Let's put it this way. Here's what the bible doesn't say: ‍

share your epic story with your church, but then never share it again.

What it does say, however, is that we should always be prepared to make a case for hope … long after your transformation. We emulate Jesus because we reflect Him to others. And we do that by sharing our story regardless of size or timing.

Remember, your story is perfect just the way it is.

Right here. Right now, big, dramatic stories of transformation look great on social media, but they’re not what God wants from you. They’re not what your neighbors and friends need from you. 

The reality is that our story has no real beginning or end because sin, temptation, and redemption are always present. 

Being vulnerable is hard work

Later that night, she shared with me what it felt like to even think about writing a story for someone else -- that it made her nervous and uneasy. What would someone think about her ideas? Would they compare her hero to the Gruffalo? And would her Gruffalo be enough?

I know it’s scary to be vulnerable. But as Christ followers -- as a church -- , we’re called to be vulnerable together. And being vulnerable means sharing your story even when you think it’s not quite big enough to share. Even when you're ashamed, broken, or hopeless. Yes ... Yes, your story is perfect!