Writing a memoir is so much more than just telling stories, spinning yarns, and passing on tales from the past.
every day,
every step of the way,
in the best of times and the worst of times.
The digging, probing, and questioning can be beautiful—well, at least the result can be beautiful.
The examining, reflecting, and unraveling help us discover significance we probably missed earlier, and that can be life-changing for the memoir writer as well as for the readers.
Writing a memoir is a holy work.
It’s a ministry.
Jesus said,
“Go tell your family everything God has done for you.”
Luke 8:39
Tell everybody about the amazing things God does.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise!
1 Chronicles 16:24-25a
Writing a memoir is our "Yes!" to God in what He tells us all to do.
Memoirists have the privilege of working with sacred stories. We get to remember God's marvelous works (Psalm 105:5) and tell the next generations about God's power and involvement in our lives and our families' lives (Psalm 145:4).
Writing a memoir does not require that we have supernatural, astonishing stories that would make the evening news and get tweeted around the world.
Mostly we write about everyday events and ordinary people.
Our job is to notice God in the midst of our gatherings and activities and responsibilities and relationships and homes.
Our goal is to detect God's fingerprints and footprints all over the place.
We avoid being preachy and holier-than-thou. We eliminate everything that suggests: "Too bad you can't be like me."
And we avoid Christianeze jargon.
Our stories need not be dry and boring. They can and should include charm and humor and adventure and intrigue. Our stores must be winsome and fascinating to read.
We need to remind ourselves what a memoir is—and what it is not.
Write your memoir as a celebration of God
in all His goodness
and faithfulness
and majesty.
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