Listening to Your Life

 

Recently, I read a book by Bruce Feiler, who describes and defines himself as a lifestorian ~ a person who dives deep into life.  One of my deep beliefs is that God shows up disguised as my/your life.  There is no “spiritual” separate from “real” life…because all life is spiritual, we cannot compartmentalize or categorize our life.  All is interconnected.  It is like the difference between waffles (with their separate distinct squares) and spaghetti where everything is mixed and mingled together – we don’t know where one noodle ends, and another begins.  The more we see life as threads woven together in a tapestry, the more we might notice God the seamstress sewing in our lives.

Feiler writes about the story you were told as a child.  From a young age, you were given a family narrative.  This story can be ascending ~ we came from nothing, we worked hard, now we are something/somebody.  Or at the other end, the story could be descending ~ we used to have it all, but we lost everything.  Or the story could be an oscillating one ~ we’ve had ups and downs in our family, there have blessings and brokenness along the way.  I do think Feiler missed that sometimes we are given a story where everyone is against us which is why we struggle.  This is a story where if it wasn’t for bad luck, we wouldn’t have any luck at all.  There can be a family story that is hidden in the shadow, where we don’t talk about it, rather there is a chilly silence.  What was the story you heard as a child growing up? 

Feiler asked people to tell him about their life in fifteen minutes ~ to focus on the high points, low points, and turning points.  Many of us may not be able to do this off the cuff, we would need time to reflect on the path that brought us to this present moment.  Perhaps this invitation sparks/stirs something within you.  Could you tell your story of life in fifteen minutes?  By the way, many of Feiler’s interviews went way beyond 15 minutes.  It isn’t easy to give the Cliff notes version of life.  As you look back on your life do you discern a central theme like named in the paragraph above?

William James said, life is lived in the transition ~ we cannot ignore/wish/will away the changes.  We accept, name, share, and embrace them into the narratives we tell.  We are always in transition, which is poignant for me with our daughter about to move into college in a few weeks. I invite you to take Feiler’s suggestion to heart.  Find a piece of paper and pen to reflect on your life path – high points, low points, and turning points - that have brought you this far.  May you sense the sacred sustaining you, especially in the unexpected twists and turns that happen to us all.  I would love for you to share your timeline with me.  May God, who is the co-author of our story, who edits our lives with love, sit beside you as you let these words simmer in your soul.  Amen.