What is a Storyteller?

What is a Storyteller?

I was talking on Facebook with my mom and told her my job on my team was a storyteller.

“Oh! You should tell them the story of when Heather [my sister] got a mouse in her pants!”

Pause.

Let me explain what a storyteller does…

Blogging on the World Race is very important. It is a tool that allows you to share with your supporters and subscribers back home what’s happening on your adventure around the world.

It’s important to share the stories that happen on the field because it not only ministers to the team that got to experience the miracle, but also to the people back home.

I rally behind my team mates and encourage them with their storytelling. If they’re stuck on what to write about, I spitfire ideas to help inspire them. I offer to proofread and spellcheck their blogs and I love doing it. There’s nothing quite like erasing a comma that doesn’t belong!

Some people struggle more than others, but it’s really cool as you read their blogs you see the progression of their growth.

I love storytelling in several formats whether it be blogs, movies, TV shows, status updates, or campfires reveries. Everything that is shared has a message, a log line, a purpose. I just want to make it a good one.

My goal with my blog is to be honest and point people to Jesus. I’m not going to sugarcoat being on this trip. There are good days and bad days. Not everyday is a magical fairytale. Especially when it’s a travel day and you start your period, it’s a heavy flow and you think, “This is it. This is how I die.” But that is real life.

God says we will share in his glory, but we will also share in his suffering. But I also argue with Jesus that he never had ovaries so he never did get to experience that delight of life. But I digress…

Jesus deserves all the glory and honor. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. His love is deep and wide for every single person on the planet.

STORY TIME

I’ve shared this story multiple times with my squad, but it is how God reaffirmed his love for me.

It was at launch. I came into worship late because I had to accept a phone call about insurance. As I walked in, I realized they had not set out the chairs as normal. Everyone was standing freeform around the room. Which is great to free up the space for worship, but hard to navigate around people to find a place to stand, so I hung in the back. The song they were singing was a new one I had just become acquainted with called “Reckless Love”.

I start to sing along to the song, but I realize my heart is not in it. I believe if I cannot honestly sing the words then my worship is a lie. So I stopped and just focused on reading the lyrics.

“Oh the overwhelming never ending reckless love of God.Oh it chases me down fights til I’m found leaves the ninety nine.”

I began wrestling over this song and it’s message because I didn’t know if I could believe it.

Did God really love me that much? I know I don’t deserve it and I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’ve hurt people and they’ve hurt me. I shut them out so they can’t hurt me anymore, but I feel so broken…

“There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me”

God, would you? Would you really do that? I don’t think I’m worth the effort.

Then someone gently grabbed my shoulders.

One of the Team Leaders, Luis, started talking to me. He said something to the effect of, “Heidi, God wants you to know that you are His precious daughter. There’s no wall he won’t kick down, lie he won’t tear down. He loves you and won’t stop loving you…”

I started crying.

I knew that was the word of God. I can be skeptical when people tell me they have a word of the Lord for me. Is it from God or are you just trying to tell me something YOU think about me and uses God as a ploy?

But in that moment I knew because I had not shared that struggle with anyone. It was happening right then and there.

I cried a lot, but it was tears of joy because once you know Who’s you are and how much He loves you, it’s the most freeing thing in the world. I felt a burden come off me in that worship service and God wants to do the same for you.

There’s nothing, no one, nada that can separate you from the love of God. He desires you. Talk to Him about your doubts, your fears, your deepest struggles. There is nothing He can’t handle.