what stories?

Joran asked a great question in his comment to me:

“So, what’s your story?”

What a loaded, loaded question.  I think my life could be current summed up in three stories:

1) I am a part of the redemptive history of mankind

My mind can’t settle for the simplistic story that we are just here by chance; that we really are just the most “advanced” life form on the planet (were that the case, then we’re more of a virus to Earth than a positively contributing part of it).  To think we’re just a product of happenstance is too simple.

I can’t accept a world where there is so much beauty just by accident.  Songs and poems and paintings instill too much emotion to be some kind of instictual response.  Prayer and conversation with other people brings too many thoughts to my brain for it to be “just” a communication tool no different than a dog’s whining or barking.  Pain is far too good of warning for things far more important than just the physical.

So a part of my story is my belief that humanity is here for a purpose and that we are here to live.  I believe we’ve been gifted with an oppertunity to love each other.  That we were created to interact, to play together, to hurt one another.  And that, perhaps, that Creator wouldn’t mind a bit of our attention now and then.

A part of my story is to tell that story; to give people hope that there is a sane person out there wo still believes in more than just atoms and molecules.  That spirits and souls, that blood and love still have a place in this world.  And that yes, that Creator wants us to enjoy His other creations.

2) Love is a choice; and is always the right choice

I’ve been married for just over a year now.  Marriage brings with it a huge number of suprises and changes that one never guesses.  So many of those suprises are so good; so few are painful and damaging.  Unfortunately, in today’s world we’re told to focus on those few hard things and someone else will say you shouldn’t have to deal with that painful thing.

And so, this love you chose to give no longer becomes about choosing to love another creation, but instead the relationship becomes about the pain and discomfort.  And love becomes less a choice and more a waning emotion.

I believe love is a choice, and the right choice everytime.  I believe love is something above simple emotions and evolution.  I believe that I want to love you and, deep down, you want to love me.

So my story is that love is good; that my wife and I love each other and choose to everyday.  We love each other through the few painful suprises and we love each other through the many smiles, laughs and kisses.  My story is one of love, of loving other creations, and letting them love me.

3)  Art is never done, time just ran out

My mother passed away in May of 2004.  She wasn’t done; she was a beautiful piece of art, but she wasn’t done.  Her time ran out, though.  She left behind love, beauty, and stories to tell my wife and children.

Through the end of her life, she clung to the hope of a Creator and that her life wasn’t done; just that her time here had run out.  She believed in a redemptive history; that even though she had done wrong in life, she was still beautiful.

My mother wasn’t done; I’ll never be done; no piece of art realy ever is.  But that doesn’t mean it isn’t good – no, it just means that things will get more beautiful.

 

So those are the three threads in my life right now.  So what are the stories I want to tell?  Well, I’ve written a couple of comic books that the art is being worked on (I’m no artist).  One set is about courage and realtionships, another book is about how death effects the people left behind more than the dying.  I’ve written some poems, made some videos, etc etc.

So yeah, I have stories to tell; some serious, some not so much.  But life, if nothing else, is at least a series of stories.  And I love hearing them as much as I love telling them.