What is your story?

I'm taking a break from getting caught up on my November thankfulness posts to post about something else that seems to be weighing heavily on my mind lately.  I know - I'm just a blogging fool these days.  :)

I have been hearing so much about different people's stories lately.  Some of it is famous people's stories. Some of it may be people I grew up with. Some of it may be people I work with. Some of it may be people that my kids know, or acquaintances that have a great story. Sometimes - it is even me that I am told again and again has a great story.

But here is the thing that is weighing on my heart, and that I think we all need to remember. ALL OF US HAVE A STORY.  Just because I have blogged about it, and I sit here and share it and make sure you know it doesn't mean I'm the only one with a story.  ALL OF US HAVE A STORY.

We all have a story.  A life story.  Things that have happened to us - good, bad, hard, things that could crush us if we let them. Things that we could use to point somewhere else. Things that have happened that have shaped us.

And not all of us are willing to share that story.  My life is an open book.  I have always said that. My life is an open book.  Now that is not always a good thing. The fact that every detail of my life is out there for people to know - not always a good thing.  But that is how I have always been.  When my husband and I were trying to get pregnant - you knew. I let everyone know about our infertility battles.  My intention was so that people who needed to learn from our difficulties could, but the downside was that everyone knew everything all the time.  I knew other friends who were going through fertility battles who specifically didn't want anyone to know at all.

Know that you have a story whether you know it or not, whether you share it or not.  Some people are better it at sharing it than others.  But all of us have a life story. Something that has shaped us and made us in to the person we are today.  It's a matter of whether or not you are willing to share what has shaped you.  It's OK if you are not willing to share, or if you feel  you can't. But know that we all need to be pointing to God in what we do - whether we are sharing our story publicly or not. This is the litmus test that we should be holding others to.