“Disturb us, Lord, when . . . .”

You want to change your readers, not just entertain them.

Be sure at least some of your memoir’s stories challenge your readers to think.

Make them question. Challenge them to stretch, to look under the surface, and wrestle with issues.

Move them to examine their assumptions and expectations to see if they’re valid.

Write stories that will give readers a holy discontent with things that are not right in their lives—not to make them wallow in guilt, but to offer them better options. “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. . . . Purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor” (James 4:8-10, NLT). Also see John 14:27.

Write stories that will give them a holy discontent with the ways of the world—trinkets and meaningless mindsets and pursuits—so they can live lives of substance and purpose. Think about what Jesus meant when he said, “You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15:19). Also see Romans 12:2.

The following prayer teems with ideas for such vignettes in your memoir.

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrive safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our effort to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show Your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Attributed to Sir Francis Drake, 1577

Did Drake’s prayer give you ideas for stories to include in your memoir? I hope so!

Look at the first couple of lines: “Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves.”

• What does “too well pleased with ourselves” mean to you, specifically?
• What past events come to mind?
• When were you too pleased with yourself?
• What were the results of that mindset?
• Why would/should we pray for God to disturb us over that attitude?
• What lessons can you share with your readers?

Look at the next couple of lines: “Disturb us, Lord, when . . . our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little.”

• What does dreaming “too little” mean?
• When did you dream too little?
• What was the result?
• Why should you have prayed for God to disturb you over your wimpy dreams?
• Tell your readers the lessons you learned and how you could have done things differently. In this way, you are mentoring them.

Sift through your memories for stories that illustrate “Disturb us, Lord, when . . . we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore,” and when we focus on “an abundance of things.”

Then look at the third stanza.

• When did a different you dare more boldly and venture into wilder seas where, as a result, storms showed you God’s mastery?
• What can you write about discovering the stars?
• You’ll want to explain what the following mean: “wider seas,” “storms,” “God’s mastery,” “losing sight of the land,” and finding “stars.”

Conclude with your thoughts about the final stanza.

Remember, writing your memoir is not just a hobby. It’s a ministry.

God can use our story to guide, inspire, encourage, influence, motivate, and empower.

“Sometimes a particular story, or version of a story, is so potent,” says Ayd Instone, “that it becomes so interwoven in our lives that it defines the direction our life story takes and modifies behavior. . . . [For example,] I’ve seen teenagers who changed the direction of their lives to become teachers after seeing the film, The Dead Poets Society.”

In a similar way, your memoir can change your readers.

You’ll have to work hard to make it happen,

but you can do it!