This is a Story
I’ve always been one to look for the beautiful stories in life. To see the one that everybody counted out succeed. To see the nerdy girl fall in love with the bad boy. To see that bad boy turn into mush only for the nerdy girl he fell in love with. To see a person wholeheartedly and fearlessly step out on faith and see how God provides. Stories read in books and watched on television always held a speck of truth in my head. These stories could become reality.
Somewhere in elementary school, I started mix-n-matching the different stories I’ve read and seen on television and found different ways to apply them to my life. I had an idea of how my life would go from high school to adulthood. Moreover, I fantasized about how my life could change so it wouldn’t be so boring, and I wouldn’t feel lonely. Writing stories (well parts of stories as I never completed one, lol) was my way of capturing my imaginary worlds, romances and friendships. As my life deviated more and more from the ideal, my imaginary world was a constant. I see, now, that it was hope that my life would be interesting and beautiful. However, with each failed relationship/situationship in college, my hope eventually diminished. I no longer had inspiration to write. I no longer believed that the beautiful stories I watched on tv or read about could become my reality. For a time, I stopped watching romance movies. I didn’t read fictional books again until 2021, nearly ten years later. Moreover, my biggest fear, but what I considered the obvious outcome, was that I would marry a man I didn’t truly love. The story would be bland. The picture of that union in my head wasn’t giving!
As I continued to get closer to God and continued my therapy sessions, life was getting better. I was happier. I felt I could finally put the chapter of 2011-2021 to an end. I decided a good way to achieve that was by taking a random trip to Tuscaloosa, visit all the places that held a significant part of my life, walk around and have the music from that time become the soundtrack.
Instead of resenting T-town, I began to appreciate the area for being the setting of the beginning of my evolution. After my trip, I decided to watch my favorite show from college, One Tree Hill. Although the pain from college was gone, there was another sadness that arose from watching the show.
At the time, all I could comprehend was that I wished my high school years were a little more like the show, a little more like how I imagined high school being. I started to resent my decision to attend an academic magnet school over attending one of the non-magnet public schools. My high school years would have been a little more interesting, a little more fun and a lot less stressful.
After more analyzing of my emotions and the situation, I realized my issue wasn’t my life in high school, but my belief that only certain stories were interesting, worth enjoying and worth appreciating. I realized that there is beauty and intrigue in all stories, even the unconventional ones. So what, I didn’t party in high school? So what, I was single for most of my junior and senior year? So what, my experiences were different than the stereotypical high school experiences? My high school experience was still fun, interesting and most of all, an accomplishment because transitioning to an academic magnet high school a week late was not an easy feat.
I write this blog post for those who may feel like their life needs more, for those who may be thinking about should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. God told me to tell you that there is beauty in your story. There is story of courage, strength and overcoming. Even if you’re in your darkest place right now, God is giving you a chance to lean on Him so He can show you the light.
Need some help from the Bible? I got you. Think about Joseph from Genesis. He was his dad’s favorite son and out of jealousy, his 10 older brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery, his owner’s wife lied on him by saying he was trying to rape her, which led to his imprisonment. I’m sure if anyone would have asked Joseph then how he felt about his life, I’m sure he would’ve responded with, “Not great.” He probably thought about things he could have changed to refrain from being in his situation. But Joseph allowed God to use Him and after 13 years of being a slave and prisoner, he became second-in-command in Egypt.
You could also look at Job. He lost everything: his children, his land, his possessions – even his health started declining. There’s over 30 chapters that deduce that Job was not loving his life or seeing the beauty of it. However, after Job repented and prayed, God blessed him with twice as much as he had before.
For those women who wanted the businessman, Boaz, or King Xerxes, but got Joseph, the carpenter instead, remember that Joseph stayed by Mary’s side in her pregnancy and even before God told him the truth, his plan was to not embarrass her. Now sis, you know most men would’ve screamed from the mountaintop about what they thought was infidelity and dump her. To make the concept more modern and visual, Michael Ealy’s character on Think Like A Man was more suitable for Taraji P. Henson’s character than Morris Chestnut’s character. (If you haven’t watched it. I suggest you do. Pronto!) Basically, if that man is from God, that man will hold you down in a way others can’t. There’s beauty in that!
I know, you probably hear what I’m saying, but hesitant in your spirit, but I promise you,
