This blog stemmed from a personal attempt to study the Bible. Click here to read my story, or here to read what I believe. By telling a story about the concepts I discovered, it forced me to spend more introspective time with each verse or section. As I did so, the concept became deeper and richer to me.
After writing a few, I wanted to share them, thinking maybe they would be useful to someone else as well.
I always had a knack for coming up with stories. I’m even willing to consider your requests! What I struggle with is how to limit my stories, and I believe this endeavor will give me practice. That’s because I’ve set some rules for myself:
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Story should be able to be told in about five minutes
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Stories must be void of details that can be eliminated without destroying the meaning
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It must be an honest examination of what I can learn from the concept
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It must not be preaching or hypocritical
When I read a great story (or watch one dramatized), I am always inspired. I’ve found that we best relate after we have opened ourselves up to others and they have also opened to us. Often it takes a crisis or shared difficulty to force that opening and baring of oneself. I suspect this is because it is risky, is not commonplace, and is uncomfortable. It means the potential for of both rejection and disappointment.
We all have a deep need to be understood, to be admired for the intentions and ideals we all have. We want to be significant to someone – to matter. It is not by accident that we have longings for peace and rest, and for beauty that overwhelms and sings in our soul. That is how we were designed.
No matter the person, there is something that makes their soul sing inside, and that collection of things that resonates with them is unique. There are things about us that explain some of the complexity of what we do and why we do it. In writing I yearn to touch on things that bind us together; common experiences, something beautiful, a lesson we learned, or even a painful past.
- Trail @ The Enchanted Forest (Photo credit: braindamaged217)
April of 2013 was a very special time for me, it marks fifteen years since I gave up trying to be good and surrendered my life to Jesus. I’m grateful for the upside-down kingdom I am now a part of – where the first is last and the King of all Kings was humbled for me in a humiliation and death that I could never endure.
Parables by Mish is the result of my desire to somehow say ‘Thank you’, and what a learning experience it has been already. I am realizing there is deeper truths to many of these verses and I’ve got so much more to explore! I find that as I read back through a chapter I often catch a point that I need to explore and understand better, or even research because I don’t know much about it.
Although this feels like a personal journey (I almost never hear from readers), I sincerely hope there is something that helps you realize there is more to God than you ever knew as well. May all the glory for that be given to Him.
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