Fabian Omini posted: " "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."- Maya Angelou So I've been watching Salem King on Instagram. Dude sounds great, and I think y'all should check out his work. One video, he was talking about everyone having this one " Adiaha's Lounge
"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou
So I've been watching Salem King on Instagram. Dude sounds great, and I think y'all should check out his work. One video, he was talking about everyone having this one friend who always had the gist. Like they're always at the right place at the exact time the deed is done, and they run back to your sorry, boring life to fill you in on the happenings you would have witnessed if you weren't so boring. Some of us are the latter, and most of us are the storytellers.
I dey always get the gist (please it's not gossip o, Christians shouldn't gossip) and I always love to share. My close guys know I always have something to say, and I feel it helps me build a larger village. (By the way, everyone should have a large village; If you don't know what that means, I'd talk about it some other time).
The thing about sharing is that you get to leave a piece of you in every story. And the more you share, the more the people around you get a piece of you, whether you want it or not. It may not be a story about you perse, but the fact that you're telling it ensures that your humanness is written all over it, like the way the things we touch are marked by our DNA, and forensic scientists find glimpses of us in crime scenes. So we get to leave pieces of us in so many places: in a friend's house; on our friends elbow when our arms brush each other as we share a hug; in a taxi as you aid the chubby woman carry her 7 year old son because she doesn't want to pay for 2 seats, and the place is getting tighter; or on a long queue in a bank that doesn't operate with the COVID protocol again, and everyone is pushing everyone, and it always makes you remember you're in Nigeria; or here, in this piece (of me) I'm writing here.
...the fact that you're telling it ensures that your humanness is written all over it...
It's routine for me to run through how my day went at the end of the day just before I sleep. The best stories lingers long, and my brain automatically sends all others to trash. So there's a likelihood I'd remember you, or something you said, or someone I met, or some unlikely event if it is wrapped up in some sort of story, and more likely if the story is interesting. So I get to fellowship with you in my head, one last time before the day wraps, a privilege shared only by a few. You see why it's good to leave an impression? Whether it's first, or second, or umpteenth, it's important to leave a good impression: it paves an easy path into the hearts of people, and to me that's something invaluable.
Being nice isn't costly, you just have to be human. I don't know what arrogant people are; zombies? Anywho! Back to Salem...
Stories are a part of us, and they should be told often. Salem King said that we all have stories to tell, and we can achieve the most if we told our stories. That's why we watch movies, that's why we read novels. We hope to see or read someone else's story, and maybe if it's compelling enough, we'd pick a thing or two to add to our lives. I have a story, you have a story, but sad truth is that we're too afraid to share. I'm too afraid to share. Because people would judge me? I don't know. What makes us think people don't want to hear ours? What makes us think people can't learn a thing or two from our lives, or maybe the life of Jesus if we tell further.
Stories are a part of our lives. And we ought to tell them. Whether in writing, or in speaking. Sometimes the most 'boring', introverted people (excuse my choice of word) have the most amazing stories. Even the Bible is a compendium of stories well-crafted. You became a Christian because you heard a story about Jesus, or because you heard a story about someone who knew Jesus. Someone reading this isn't a Christian because he/she hasn't heard a story about Jesus, or because he/she hasn't heard your story and hasn't found out you knew Jesus. Shey you see why you should be talking ba?"Go into all the world and preach the gospel" isn't an affair for a few select, coordinated, pastoral looking brothers and sisters. It's a call for us to tell our stories, however they are: sad, beautiful, grieving, happy, melancholic, anyhow.
Jesus said "You are the light of the world", let's make sure we light up the world with our stories! Because at the end of the day, the people we interacted with during its course, would remember us because of the stories we told. And if we told a very good one, we (and Jesus) have gained a follower. If we gave a not-so-good narrative, we'd be given another opportunity to gain one the next day, by telling something awesome. When the crowds came to Jesus, he always got them hooked up on a story. And more than just the miracles, I'm sure they always came back each day to hear something wonderful.
Because even with all the books in the world, the story you and I are hiding inside our heads is still the best story there is, yet.
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