Weigh In #32

"What's your story?", the slightly drunk, middle-aged guy asked.

The was almost 20 years ago. I was working a temporary job as a bouncer at a "college bar" and this guy seemed intrigued that a college student was working instead of partying with everyone else. I was a little interested in why someone in his 40's (or later) would be hanging out with a bunch of college students. I got my answer real quick when our conversation ended as abruptly as it started. That was because he turned on his heel and began following a blonde co-ed who had walked by. Following a few feet behind her he was running a steady stream of attempted pick-up lines. I never did see how all that turned out for him, but I have my suspicions...

But I have thought about his question many times over the years and again recently. The concept of "story" keeps popping up in many aspects of my life. I'm seeing it as I help the teens at our church prepare the theme and speeches for Youth Sunday coming up in May. I'm finding it in the writings of a friend who has entrusted me with reviewing and critiquing his unfinished manuscript. I'm hearing it in the excited conversations of friends who have been planning for upcoming weddings. I've been watching it in the life of my oldest daughter as she grows up right before my eyes...

I'm reminded of it in posts from Don Miller on his blog (which in turn reminds me of his book "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" that I read and reviewed).

The main thrust of all of it is that we all have a story. That story has an author that is not us. The difference between the author in our lives and the author of a book is that we have been invited to be collaborators with our author.

God wants us to be involved in the story of our lives. He wants us to be involved in developing it, in including other characters, in making it mean something.

Most of all, I believe that God wants us to be involved in sharing our story.

What's the point in writing/having a story if you are just keeping it for yourself or hiding it away so no one ever knows about it? I've been thinking a lot about that particular part. I've been one to always encourage people to open up, to share, to get involved in their stories. But I haven't so much taken my own advice a lot of times. I definitely don't do a good job of sharing my story much - either in the telling of it or the living of it. I'm not entirely sure why but I have my suspicions...

This will probably be a theme I explore more on these pages because I just can't ignore how it keeps coming back to me time and again. Stay tuned...

On to the regularly scheduled program. Monday's are weigh in days and this one is no different. I checked the bathroom scale this morning and saw:

251.0

As always, I'm happy to see the numbers headed lower. That brings me to 70lbs all totaled so far. I have to say that I like saying that but I'm still a little amazed when I look at the total. I'm half expecting to find out that there is something wrong with the scale and I've been disillusioned this whole time.

I want to say thank you to the many, many people who have been encouraging and supportive of me during these many weeks. Your words, emails, messages, comments, and tweets mean a lot to me and help me immensely. I can't thank you enough.

And thanks for being a part of my story too....

Photo credit to Didi90.