I love to write; I passionately love to write simply because I am forced to articulate what is actually going on in my head and in my heart. It may be good at times but at other times, it may just seem like an endless chatter of verbosity exploding on a piece of perfectly good paper or computer screen. Starting a blog, even if it is primarily for my little sphere of influence, still is daunting as to which direction to start. I could simply dive into story telling or sharing; however, I have come to believe it is important to understand the lens of how I view life and understand life.

I firmly believe that nothing, absolutely, nothing comes into our lives by mere chance; and I firmly believe that Jesus wants us to live out of that place in which He has placed us. I also firmly believe that God sees us; loves us exactly as we are; and He will never leave us. Although my head often tells me that these facts are true, there is immense struggle in my heart to live fully out of this place. You see, like you, I find myself with the background of comparisons. There is simply no shortages of places to compare. Social status. Homes. Relationships. Jobs. Callings. Bodies. Children. Spouses. Health. Social media. These are just a few of the backdrops that hover over us, day in and day out. In these places, Satan often entices us to believe the lie: that somehow our worth before the Lord actually depends on a few of these idols.

The backdrop of a stage often serves as a pivotal point in which the story or narrative occurs. To fully understand the themes, struggles, and the points of impact, often we must look and glance at the backdrop to gain a clear understanding. The backdrop of my story consists of being raised in the deep South, in the picturesque town of Oxford, Mississippi. My family’s ties to the community were and are deep as my father served as mayor for 24 years and owned and operated a drugstore on the Square for 38 years.  In a similar fashion to the book The Help, I was raised primarily by Minnie, our maid for over 60 years. So, my backdrop consists of the sweet southern traditions; yet, it was full of struggles. To perform. To be seen. To be loved. My backdrop would seem serene; however, the side stories would involve broken stories and broken dreams. Car wrecks. Health scares. Adults not protecting. Little attachment. Loneliness. These are simply a few but the list doesn’t really matter. What matters is that I own my particular story and live out of that story. My story seems to be my ministry so sometimes, I may write about past experiences, present struggles, or future possibilities.

So…to move forward with blogging and just living life, let’s embrace the backdrops that God has orchestrated in our lives. I am more convinced today than ever before that our stories, especially those broken places and innate weaknesses are allowed into our lives so that we become keenly aware of our need for Jesus. Life cannot be placed in a box, nor Jesus. So…what’s your story? What are your broken dreams and broken longings that permeate into the moments and years of your life? How can we all steward well our story for His glory and His ministry? Let’s collapse in the truth of our stories and perhaps, we will begin to see the sheer goodness of Jesus in our unique and particular backdrops.