You really can’t make it up, I thought, as the single tear rolled down my cheek.
Monday, I sent out a blog about being Worthy of a Witness.
Tuesday, Facebook served up a memory of the first time I met her. She was the first one to bring a kiddo to one of my workshops. Her nine-year-old sat in the back of the room and drew a beautiful piece of art with the word READ at the center, and then she gave it to me at the end of the workshop, filling my heart with what I NOW know was a beautiful foreshadow.
Wednesday, I was sharing how her client experience was the most epic rescue mission I’d witnessed until this one I’m in the middle of witnessing right now.
Thursday, she shared a video in our Community Cocoon space. Her daughter was singing lead on OUR SONG, “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, in a room full of high schoolers who had their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders and waists.
It’s our song because it’s the one I sent her when she gave me far too much credit for changing her life. I could see all of the characters appearing at the exact perfect time, in the exactly perfect roles, with the exactly perfect scripts to help her see what had been unseeable and take some of the most courageous steps I’ve witnessed to change her story and her children’s forever. There is no doubt in my mind that the Co-Author had heard her tearful prayers and organized a rescue mission that was so perfectly orchestrated, it’s impossible to deny.
Friday, a memory of her second retreat with me pops up on Facebook and I share it, and she remarks, “Wow, different time, place, person…” and then I head into a planning session with one of my partners on the conversation we’re going to publish about what it means to be SAVED BY STORY.. and of course, I mention hers as one of the most important to include.
Saturday, I spend the whole day trying to reground myself in work after two weeks of being in the middle of the grandest rescue mission I’ve been a firsthand witness to, holding it as my North Star for this next extremely uncomfortable transition into my next chapter.
This is why I’m doing this… why I won’t stop even when I can’t breathe and want to scream, cry, and hide in a cave forever.
Sunday, I’m sitting in a new church we decided to check out at the last minute, and cringing as the pastor shares (shouts, actually) about the Book of Job and the Suffering that is a natural part of life, and how so many of us question the Goodness of God/Life in times of suffering…
Truth is, I wasn’t really all that impressed with the sermon.
There were some assumptions, some leaps in logic, and a conclusion I’m not all on board with.
And yet, there was one thing he said that REALLY got under my skin… and not in the worst way.
“Job acknowledged that he/we needed a Mediator between us mere mortals and the immortal, all-powerful Creator. He questioned God’s goodness, but we don’t have to… because we know that there was a Mediator… Job just didn’t know the end of the story…”
That was it… the last thing I heard… because The Story Oracle within had taken the mic.
That’s not the end of the bloody story! she screamed.
As far as I’m concerned, after almost two decades of listening to people share their WHOLE stories, I’m convinced that we are at the center of a great Rescue Mission, one orchestrated to such perfect detail that like the client whose story primed this conversation, there is no character or plot twist (beautiful or hellish) that is not accounted for, no delay or detour that doesn’t make sense when you look back, and no way that anyone in the story doesn’t get the opportunity for complete and utter redemption.
The question is:
Do we believe we are
worthy of the rescue mission?
Do you?
If so, I encourage you to write down all the reasons why you are worthy because you might need it someday when a tough plot twist sends you out of your ordinary world and into the unknown.
And if not, I encourage you to write down all the reasons
THE PERSON YOU LOVE THE MOST—a child, a friend, a spouse/partner, etc.—is worthy of a rescue mission from whatever tough plot lines and story loops they've faced.
Then go back and circle all the qualities you have in common with them, and see what happens.
p.s. Speaking of almost-unbelievable plot twists, I'm excited to share my news tomorrow night at our community event.
Hope you can be there...
