Storied Living.
The capacity of my words can't adequately describe the fullness that happens in my heart when I see this picture. Lea is the love of my life. I long for her heart and her beauty. I long to be with her daily. I ache when I'm away from her. God is making us one and the intensity of my desire to literally be near her is intensity that isn't rivaled by much. My friendship with her is abundant. She is my best friend. I have never known anyone like her. Out of our union, God created 3T. Taylor, Trent and Trey. Three men that have changed the fabric of our lives. They are learning. They are creative. They are courageous. They are needy like their mom and dad. I am stunned by whispers of God all over them, seen and unseen. Taylor and Trent live elsewhere in Tennessee these days. Lea and Trey and I miss them. Really miss them. They are our friends and we miss them. God has favored Trent and Taylor with impactful beauty. Their names are Meg and Ashley. They are dear. They are on purpose. They are answers to prayer words. The last couple of days we have shared our first ever Story Retreat at Story Cottage. Intentional time to be together as a family to share space, share stories, share sacred moments together....on purpose. It has been so very rich.
Three years ago, Taylor was closing his senior year at Covenant College on Lookout Mountain in Georgia. As a senior, he was fulfilling his senior integration project, a project that is an offering of the student's heart and life linked to their area of study while at Covenant. Taylor's idea from God was (and is) called "The Storyboard Collective". Taylor invited ( and is inviting) middle and high school students to write anonymous letters, sharing the real life guts and glory of their lives, perhaps in a way that they never have before. Here are words from Taylor describing the invitation of The Storyboard Collective. " The Storyboard Collective, in its simplest form, is my movement to collect the stories of middle and high school students and to make collaborative art that reflects their stories and experiences. I want to create the opportunity for students to share parts of their stories that they have never shared before – a safe place for them to speak what’s on their heart and mind, whether painful or joyful, broken or beautiful." One facet of the collaborative art that Taylor is crafting is songs that he is writing out of the very themes and words that students from around the world have shared with The Storyboard in their letters. (You can learn a bit more about The Storyboard Collective here: www.thestoryboardcollective.weebly.com)
Our Story Retreat at Story Cottage over the last several days has partly been a time of shared stories and shared heart over these beautiful letters. Taylor and Lea have invited our family to share in conversation and collaborative art in response to how God has stirred our hearts in the reading of the words of 40 letters from middle and high school students. These words are part of my collaborative offering in response to slowing to consider the hearts of my family and their beauties as well as these anonymous forty that poured their words on paper and keyboards, because they were invited.
This is what I have noticed as I read their letters. I notice that names are windows to the soul. The students were invited to sign their letters with anonymous names to protect their privacy while describing their identity. And that is what I noticed. I noticed the names that they gave themselves....windows to their soul.
Signed.....
hopefully trusting in His plan
a child of God burning to love as God loves
stressed over school
the new kid
God brings joy
feeling judged, lost and fearful
choosing truth
someone very confused
energetic storyteller
lost and lonely
reignited fire
afraid and troubled
thankful and joyful for family
He is so powerful and majestic
special people and moments
simple powerful amazing moments
invisible, attacked and confused
forgiven and redeemed
empty
longing for perfection
persecuted and joyful
questioning Christian
the pain filled possibility
hungry
blessed and thankful
why?
scattered but beyond blessed
peaceful
lost and alone
bff's again
scared and confused
worried, scared and struggling
grateful for His love
waiting in the power of Jesus
sorrow
party lover, love for all the homos
lost but hopeful
gaga for girls but mostly gaga for God
blood sugars too high
and one more.....
courage finder.
Forty "anonymous" names. Forty hearts. Forty realities. Forty stories. Billions of plots.
Not to much for one God, known or not. One God, seen or not. One God, named or not. He sees. He knows. He loves. Fiercely.
He names.
Beloved.
Sought After.
And your name?
There's more.