Anna Daugherty's Blog
April 26, 2024
Your [Messy] Story Matters
Personally, I love when social media influencers turn the cameras around and show us the messy reality behind the perfect posts. The junk piles, the crumbs, and the stained clothes. Maybe it's bad to admit, but I rather like thinking that the neighbor with the perfect house has shoved it all into a closet now bursting at the seams. Not because I want to glorify the mess, but because I like knowing I'm not the only one fighting it.
I recently shared a snippet of my testimony with a group of women. I shared a bit that has a straight-forward beginning, a solid midpoint, and an end. As an author, that's the way I think. But as I listened to other stories that day, another snippet of my life swirled in my mind. Another part of my testimony for which I haven't found the words.
All I know is: there I once was, here I am now.
And I don't know how to tell you what happened in the middle. Prayers and tears were spent. Decisions were made, some good, some bad. It got messy for a bit. It took a long time, but I kept crawling through that tunnel until I realized I was out of it.
What sort of story is that? No stunning revelation, no brilliantly answered prayer. Just a lot of floundering and the steady work of the Holy Spirit, leading me through the mud. (Though I occasionally find a fleck here and there still.)
It doesn't make good fiction, I can tell you that much. But maybe we need to hear these stories. Many of us are living in them daily, and we need hope.
Which is why your story matters. Even if it's not the one you wanted, and you wish it were different. Even if the plot points don't play out the way we think they should, and it doesn't wrap up with a bow on top. Even if you haven't made it out of the mud, you've just gotten stronger from trudging through it.
Your story matters. Because someone else has a closet stuffed to the brim and they need to know they aren't alone. And that there is hope, however unevenly it comes.
[Further Reading: Psalm 107]
I recently shared a snippet of my testimony with a group of women. I shared a bit that has a straight-forward beginning, a solid midpoint, and an end. As an author, that's the way I think. But as I listened to other stories that day, another snippet of my life swirled in my mind. Another part of my testimony for which I haven't found the words.
All I know is: there I once was, here I am now.
And I don't know how to tell you what happened in the middle. Prayers and tears were spent. Decisions were made, some good, some bad. It got messy for a bit. It took a long time, but I kept crawling through that tunnel until I realized I was out of it.
What sort of story is that? No stunning revelation, no brilliantly answered prayer. Just a lot of floundering and the steady work of the Holy Spirit, leading me through the mud. (Though I occasionally find a fleck here and there still.)
It doesn't make good fiction, I can tell you that much. But maybe we need to hear these stories. Many of us are living in them daily, and we need hope.
Which is why your story matters. Even if it's not the one you wanted, and you wish it were different. Even if the plot points don't play out the way we think they should, and it doesn't wrap up with a bow on top. Even if you haven't made it out of the mud, you've just gotten stronger from trudging through it.
Your story matters. Because someone else has a closet stuffed to the brim and they need to know they aren't alone. And that there is hope, however unevenly it comes.
[Further Reading: Psalm 107]
August 17, 2023
Outside of Grace is free today!
If you've been waiting for a chance to read Outside of Grace, today might be your day! The Kindle version is free on Amazon today only (8/17). Grab one for yourself and send one to a friend. Happy summer reading!
