Sharing Your Story

One of the recent topics for a MOPS meeting was all about telling your story.  And it wasn't just focused on telling the events of your life, but more on the transfer of one main idea - sort of like a life lesson from God.  I've shared lots of elements of my story before, but I've never really thought of it in a way of transferring something to another person that they can grow from.  I really liked that and thought it was much more God-glorifying than just a lot of talk about events in my life.

To prepare for our story, we watched this video.  Lysa Terkeurst does a much better job explaining the concept of telling your story.  Rather than focusing on a linear, chronological approach, she looks at our stories as a wheel.

Watch for more details:

After watching the video, I took some time to journal different aspects of my life and areas where I had felt closest and farthest away from God.  I really was surprised at how my story took shape as I followed the guidelines in the video (intro, theme/sticky hub, event, connect event to theme, etc.).  With it being National Infertility Awareness Week this week (April 20-26), I thought it was fitting to share some of what I learned about telling your story and also to share some of my story.

The fact is, we all have stories to tell. God is working in us, around us, and through us all the time.  He is doing amazing things constantly, and while they may not be the things we want Him to be doing, there are lessons to be learned in it all.

I typed out the gist of what I shared with my MOPS group when we all came together to share our stories:

Hard times and the hand of God:  I feel like one of the themes in my life has been hard times and the growth that has happened as a result- both emotional and spiritual growth.   I’ve had my share of hard times, but God’s presence has always been felt or experienced through those struggles and I’ve always come out a stronger person as a result.  From my high school days when I would attend church by myself to having to transfer colleges my 3^rd year to a broken relationship with my mom...these have all been areas where I've struggled personally.
 

But for me, there are a few key instances that stand out that have been hard, but looking back, I see where God had His hand as He took those hard times and redeemed them for good and His glory.  

1.  I wasn’t quite ready to settle down into a real-world job after college, so I decided to go overseas.  I ended up with a program teaching English in China.  We left late August 2001.  The adjustment was harder than I imagined.  The sights, sounds, and smells were so different.  I was completely out of my comfort zone.  And then 9/11 happened and I was in a foreign country, and a communist one at that, where our information was censored.  We pretended we were Canadians for awhile and had travel restrictions placed on us by our organization.  We felt alone, isolated, scared, and confused.

But God did not leave me.  I worked through those hard times with my fellow American teachers.  I grew to love the Chinese language, culture, people and food.  So much so that after my 10 month commitment was up, I signed on for another whole year.  That is all God!  I was ready to abandon the country after a month and God redeems that for 2 years of my life spent in China.  He is so good.  Those were some of my most memorable years where I saw God at work in me and around me.  I got to travel and experience the wonders of His creation.  I formed friendships with some that I still keep in touch with. That is clearly the hand of God at work in my life.

Another hard time in my life that God really used to show His power and glory was a longer period of time….about 5 years.

2. It started out with the diagnosis of some chronic health problems for me (PCOS).  There was relief in finally having a diagnosis to what was wrong with me.  But then we dealt with infertility.  For 2 years we prayed and waited and cried out to God for a child while it seemed like everyone around us was growing their family as we longed to do.  

Finally, we were pregnant and there was much joy for a few weeks until our 1^st ultrasound when we saw the baby had stopped growing.  I was devastated.    Nothing could have prepared me for the loss of our 1^st child.  I spent the better part of a year being ticked off at God, wrestling with Him over the “why” of the event, and just being angry and depressed.  And then nearly 1 year later we were pregnant again, only to suffer another early loss.

Finally, after a mission trip to Russia, and another year gone by after that 2^nd loss (I don’t know what it was with us and finding out we were pregnant in Septembers!), we found ourselves pregnant a 3^rd time.  This time it stuck, we went on to have a healthy pregnancy, and a beautiful, amazing gift in our daughter.  Those years of IF and loss were some of my darkest days, and yet, looking back, I know God never left me.  His presence was always with me, and while the events didn’t initially play out how I wanted, He redeemed all of those struggles and made them good in His time.  I am such a better parent now after having waited those years for our daughter.  I’m so much more patient and loving; I find so much joy in the day to day interactions from her.  I don’t take it for granted like I’m afraid I may have had pregnancy come easy for us.  I love being a mom.  I know what a gift it is.

And so those are some of the lessons I try to take with me when I experience hard times…because I know more will be coming.  I try to remember:  God is always with me, even when it doesn’t feel like it.  God can take the hard times and struggles and redeem them for His good and glory.  In fact, it may be those exact times where He chooses to reveal how mighty His power really is.  I know I’ve seen it numerous times in my life, and I hope you are able to see Him working even when times are hard.  For it’s in those hard times that come the greatest periods of spiritual growth for me.

So...that's the part of my story that I felt like sharing with my group.  Most didn't know our struggle with IF and miscarriages.  I pray that me sharing my story gave someone there hope- hope to trust in God, His timing, and His plan. 

I hope the same is true for those that are reading this blog.  I don't think it's coincidental that National Infertility Awareness Week began on Easter....God's most redemptive act....saving the world through the death and resurrection of His Son.  God didn't work how the people thought He would.  He worked in His time and in His own, humble way to save the world.  May that working be true in your life as well.

Why, hello there, folks.

Wow...time is a flying these days.  I am embarrassed so many months have passed since visiting this little ol blog.  I have thought about penning an update often, but then I think, oh man, it's been too long.  I don't know where to start.  And more time goes by.  I read the blogs of others and think, I should really update my blog.  There's a lot going on.  And then I don't know where to start.  Or I think about all that I feel God is teaching me or speaking to me, and I think, I should post this on my blog and share it.  And then more time goes by and I forgot about it, or I just write it in my journal.

So here I am...jumping back into the waters.  Since I don't really know where to start, I'll just start by recapping the last almost 3 months (gulp).  We'll start with February here.  March and April will probably be there own updates...ha, ha. I know how wordy (I call it descriptive) I can be.  I'll do bullet points since it's easiest and I'm feeling lazy.

• We lived through our 1st and 2nd major snowstorms here.  Oh, man. Those were adventures.  They aren't kidding when they say everything shuts down for a few (2-3) inches of snow.  I'm talking...grocery stores closed, no mail delivery for a few days, things can't get back to normal until the snow melts.  Oh my!  We had a blast with it though. R loved playing in the snow and it was so refreshing to have a few days of playing in the white stuff.   And then we got a 2nd storm a few weeks later and got to do it all over again.  Such fun memories.  If only we could have a few snow days every year.  Apparently, this is a once every 3-4 years occurrence.
• I got sucked into spending too much time watching the Olympics.  That happens every time.  I loved that they were in Russia this time around.  It took me back to DH and my time there in 2011.  The culture and people were great to see.  I still think of some of those men and women we met quite frequently, and when I do, I pray for them and their ministry in Siberia.  So that was 2 weeks of staying up too late, being too tired, and watching too much TV.
• I participated in my 1st freezer meal workshop.  That was fun.  It was through Wildtree, a company that I just learned about, but already love.  Most of their products are certified organic and free of added preservatives and fillers.  I love that!  Fits so much of what I believe in (not always what I practice with cooking), but I so fell in love with the product that I'm thinking of signing up to be a representative just so I can get the 20% discount.  ha, ha.  It is a multi-level marketing company, and I said I would NEVER join one of those, but it is only $50 to sign up.  Still thinking about it as I have so many areas I'm passionate about but never enough time to pursue them all.
• I started taking R to a twice a month Montessori play group.  It's been really good to learn from someone who is trained in Montessori as opposed to me just reading books and blogs about it.  She is little Miss Independent, often wanting to be a helped with everything I do.  Montessori embraces this little helper/independent learner idea, so it's been a good fit.  Like everything, I'm not 100% on board with it all, but it's been great for her to play with other items and kids at the play group.  We meet at a library and the teacher sets up all the little stations for the kids to work.  R usually runs around dumping everything out, but she'll get the hang of it eventually.  ha, ha.
• In-laws- we enjoyed a visit from the in-laws (FIL, MIL, and SIL) to celebrate DH's 40th birthday.  It was nice to have them finally visit us in "new to us" home.  Oh man though...I have a husband who is 40?!?  That makes me feel so old. Glad they were able to come celebrate, but not enjoying the feeling old part.

• We celebrated Chinese New Year with Chinese food...like we do every year since I lived in China.  This year is the year of the horse...my year!  So that means I am either 12, 24, 36, 48, or 60 this year...take your pick.  It was so funny while I was teaching in China, my middle school students would always ask me what my sign (ie. zodiak sign) was.  I'd always tell them I was a horse, and then they'd talk about the good characteristics of a horse, etc.  But what I think they were really doing was asking about my age.  They all know the order of the animals and it's a 12 year cycle, so you can figure out someone's age pretty quickly that way.

Well, I think that sums up February. I'll try to be back with March soon.  In the meantime, Happy Holy week to you all.  It's hardly felt like Lent to me at all.  Praying this week is different.