The Story That I'm Telling...

I write this on a plane flying over the Rocky Mountains spanning from the Canadian border to our neck of the words and then far beyond us. I can see tree lines highlighted with snow. I can see waterways and tributaries. Then the earth fades away under a blanket of thick billowy clouds holding the stories below a secret for me to imagine.

Without the information that my eyes would gather, I am left to my imagination. I get to tell the story of the land below, the story of how the water cuts through the rock or changes direction to find the path of least resistance, and the stories of the plants and animals too.

It’s a behavior we nurture in children. We want them to stretch their mental muscles to imagine what cannot be seen or heard. In adulthood we can use it as a coping mechanism; instead of asking questions it can be more convenient to craft our own narrative. By not seeing or hearing, it’s so much easier to wander down the path of “the story that I’m telling…”

When I became aware of this internal practice, it shifted my awareness in many relationships. I recognized in myself a narrative I was carrying when in the midst of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and disagreements. Instead of waiting to listen and learn, I would craft a story that twisted and toyed with my emotions. I invite you to consider this internal reflection the next time your in an uncomfortable situation with a loved one.

I’ve digressed though.

By asking myself to delineate between what I know and the story that I’m telling, I’ve begun to recognize when I have missed opportunities to learn, to ask questions, or to use my five senses to expand my understanding.

This Sunday we will revisit the concept of reconciliation, a practice that healthier with listening, watching, learning about the other’s experience and perspective. And so, I ask, what stories have you been telling about creation? What stories would you learn if you choose to pull back the proverbial blanket of clouds to learn more about the needs, the experiences, and the wounds of Creation?

The story I’ve been telling is….

Peace,
Rev Elizabeth