Have
you given thought to your memoir’s ultimate purpose?
Whether
your answer is yes or no, here’s something to think about:
We
learn from the Bible why God acts on behalf of His people: so that they would
know Him: “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 6:6-7, 1
Kings 20:13, Ezekiel 37:5-6, and Joel 2:19-27) and so that people would see Him
and praise Him.
God
does the same nowadays: He assures us of His love and faithfulness by doing
things for us, sometimes in earthshaking ways, but usually in everyday ways.
So
here you and I are, writing our stories—
about
high school athletics, about being a Boy Scout,
or
about falling in love, or raising babies, or teenagers,
or
foster children;
about
starting careers, or finding a best friend,
or
climbing mountains,
or
wrestling an octopus,
or
serving in the military;
about
going bankrupt, or having cancer,
or
suddenly finding ourselves widows,
or
being homeless, or orphaned,
or
blind, or lost. . . .
And
if we look deeply and examine it all and connect the dots (click on that link),
we discover God was with us every second and every day, working on our behalf.
Oswald
Chambers said it this way: “Never believe that so-called random events of life
are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine
designs anywhere and everywhere.” (My Utmost for His Highest)
Make
time to search for what He has done for you—often in seemingly little, everyday
ways—and never doubt that He can use your stories to help readers see Him, know
Him, and praise Him.
It
still boggles my mind—God established this ingenious plan—for us to teach our
children and grandchildren what we’ve seen Him do—because He knows that both we
and they will benefit if we know, love, and follow Him.
Take
in this paraphrase of Psalm 78:2-7:
We
will tell our children,
and
the generations that come after us,
God-shaped
family stories our parents and grandparents
passed
down to us.
Let’s
not hide them
from
our children and grandchildren.
Instead,
let’s tell stories of what we have seen God do—
His
power and might,
and
the glorious and praiseworthy things He has done—
so
that we and they will praise Him.
God
commanded our ancestors
to
teach such things to their children
so
they in turn would teach their children
down
through the generations.
This
is His plan to help all of us
grasp
and remember His deeds and miracles
and
live faithfully according to His ways.
With
that in mind, here’s an important tip:
Everyone
resists those who get preachy
and
have a holier-than-thou attitude,
so
instead of harping on do’s and don’ts,
tell
stories that will help young people
discover
for themselves what’s important about God.
Stories
are powerful.
“A
story is up to twenty-two times more memorable than facts alone,” according to Professor Jennifer Aaker of the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Your
story can entertain, cause readers to laugh,
or
cry,
or
both,
and
they’ll remember your stories
longer
than lectures or preaching.
Readers
can take in the wisdom you learned,
avoid
mistakes you have made,
and
make their own good choices.
They
can navigate through their own difficulties and mysteries,
make
sense of their own lives,
and
have a sense of direction for the future.
Your
stories can soften and strengthen hearts,
pass
on hope, and offer grace.
The
following captures my vision—my prayer, my heart’s desire—for the memoir
classes I teach and for this blog:
Great
is the Lord and most worthy of praise. . . .
One
generation will commend Your works to another;
they
will tell of your mighty acts.
They
will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
and
I will meditate on Your wonderful works.
They
will tell of the power of Your awesome works,
and
I will proclaim Your great deeds.
They
will celebrate Your abundant goodness
and
joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
(Psalm
145:3-7, NIV)
Make
a conscious decision to write your memoir as a celebration of God.
As George Herbert said in the quote below, consider yourself a secretary of God’s praise.
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