Exploring Our Stories One Piece at a Time

“You have such a soothing voice.”

That’s what my junior high tech ed teacher said after listening to the commercial my partner and I had made in the broadcasting module of the class. 

Those high energy, come-buy-now type of commercials repulsed me rather than encouraged me to buy from them. So when it came time to record my own, I went in a different direction:

A calm invitation to a vacation retreat. 

Or something like that. I can’t remember exactly.

What I remember is my teacher’s response about my “soothing voice.” Which is the same comment I often get when someone listens to my podcast. It’s calm. Peaceful.

It’s funny how pieces of our stories get set down, lost, discovered, or picked up again. Some pieces we hide away, hoping never to look at them again. (We think if we don’t acknowledge them, they never really happened, right?)

Of course, some pieces always stay with us, regularly in the forefront of our minds. And some, we never really know how they’re going to fit in until years down the road.

But they’re all pieces of us.

They’re not good, necessarily. They’re not bad, either. They just… are.

Today, I want to talk about what healing might look like as we explore our stories one piece at a time. Then, I have a special invitation for you for this summer.

Our Stories

Our stories matter. They really do.

James Pennebaker writes, “Stories are an essential part of who we are. They provide a way for us to understand both simple and extremely complicated experiences. Just as we need stories to convey ideas to others, we also need stories to understand things that happen to us.”

When he speaks about stories, he’s not talking about making something up. He’s talking about being able to tell the story about what happened, the consequences of what happened, and how that impacted you.

For example, think about something that happened recently that disappointed you. You could even pause for a minute and jot it down on some paper. It will likely come out a bit disjointed and full of emotional energy, because we have a lot of emotions there, don’t we?

When you write about it as a story, you have a beginning, middle, and an end. Something happened that sparked your disappointment. What was it? What expectations did you have?

When you move into the middle of the story, you can speak to the immediate impact it had on you in that specific situation. How did you respond to the disappointment in the moment? Did you gloss over it so others wouldn’t know? Did you cry?

Then, most likely the end includes what you’re doing with that disappointment and the more permanent impact it had on you. Did you let it go? Are you holding onto it? Did it change a certain relationship? Did it change the way you see yourself?

Some stories are simple. They can be told easily. They don’t have a lot of impact, and you can move on.

But some stories are a bit more complex, impacting you in many different ways, and they can take years to unravel and process.

One Piece of Our Stories at a Time

That’s the other thing I’ve learned about pieces of stories: sometimes it’s easier to look at one piece at a time rather than the whole thing.

That story I started with, about how my teacher said I had a soothing voice, is something I didn’t really think much about. Not until I started my podcast and the words of others reminded me of that. And looking back, I’ve been able to see how God has used my calmness, my steady presence, to comfort and encourage others.

But there are other stories I hold that are more complex. I have experienced the devastating loss of friendship and community. That experience, my friend, was not processed in one journaling session.

It took time. Time to be confused. Time to be angry. Time to ask questions.

I had to deal with the immediate and sudden loss of my friends. I had to grieve those friendships, try to wrap my mind around the idea that they weren’t going to be there for me anymore, that I would never see them again.

I had to figure out how to handle the expectations on me to develop new friendships, and to develop them with specific people that really weren’t people I would naturally gravitate toward. I wasn’t ready for new friends yet, and I certainly didn’t want to be in forced friendships.

I had to combat false views and ideas about me. Because people interpreted things in a way that weren’t true and made them think poorly about me. And I was mad about that. I was hurt about that.

I had to wrestle with questions about why this all happened and if I could ever trust anyone again, knowing friends could be taken away from me without warning.

I also wanted to honor the friendships themselves, the lessons I learned, the ways I grew as a person and as a Christian, the memories we made.

Loss and grief can be hard to process. So can trauma. So can chronic illness. So can major life changes.

It’s a lot.

And breaking it down into smaller pieces is a gentler approach.

Instead of trying to grasp all the sadness and hurt at once, I can take more manageable pieces and hold each one of them before the Lord individually, talking to Him about them. And so can you.

Eventually, all the pieces will fit together.

But for now, it’s okay to pick up one at a time.

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Invitation to Journal Gently

This is something we focus on in the podcast, as each week, we look at just one part of our life, and we learn how to bring that before God.

The Journal Gently program is designed in the same way. Each week, we take a simple, gentle step forward in our healing journey. We learn one skill. We explore one spiritual practice. We take part in one writing exercise.

And let me tell you, God shows up. He really does.

I love hearing from the women throughout the program. Because they speak about the lightheartedness and joy they experience as they journal together with God. They talk about how liberating it is not to be required to journal in a specific time and way, but to do what works for them in this season of their lives. They experience healing in situations that they have been carrying around for decades. Tears come as they recognize God’s presence there with them while they write.

And I want that for you, my friend. If you want to learn how to explore your story one piece at a time, and to do it together with God, the Journal Gently program is really the perfect place for you.

Your Three Choices

You can join Journal Gently at any time. In fact, when you register, you have three choices you get to make:

First, you get to pick the date you start, because I really want this to be something that works for you and your schedule. You look at your calendar and pick a block of time where you’ll be able to do the work. And really, the work will only take you 1-2 hours per session.

Second, you get to choose whether to go through the program with me there to support you as your guide or whether to go through it on your own, solo style. As you decide this, think about how likely you are to share what you’re learning with someone else, if you want to be able to ask more questions about the materials or your journaling practice, and things like that.

Third, you get to decide if you want to stick with the original 8-week time frame or if you want to do the “intensive” version and go through it in 8-days instead. Now, the 8-week schedule is recommended because it gives you that extra time and space that is so often needed when doing some deep journaling like this. However, I also recognize that maybe you have a week’s vacation that would be perfect for you to really dive in and focus on this, and that’s okay. Talk to the Lord about what might be best for you and do that. You can trust Him!

Again, you can sign up for Journal Gently at any time. There’s never any pressure to do something you’re not ready for.

Choice is really important when you are healing. That’s why I offer you options here—not to overwhelm you, but to make sure it’s what you want and need.

I really hope and pray that you’ll think about joining me in the Journal Gently program this summer. Because I want to see you pick up these pieces of your story and begin to heal together with God. You can learn more and sign up at lovedoesthat.org/journalgently.

Journal Prompts

Before we go, I want to offer you some journal prompts to help you start thinking about different pieces of your life story. You are welcome to go through each of them or focus on the 1 or 2 that really resonate with you.

1. What is a story that others tell about you? How does it make you feel?
2. Reflect on a significant turning point in your life. How did you respond, and what did it teach you about resilience or change?
3. Write about a moment when you felt completely lost or uncertain. How did you navigate through that time, and what did you learn from it?
4. Pick one “big story” from your life and break it down into several “mini stories.” You could do this in outline format.
5. What is a story you’ve never told anyone but feel ready to share now? Why do you think it’s time to open up about it?

Prayer

God, we thank You for the gift of life and the stories we carry within us. We come before You with open hearts, asking for Your guidance as we explore the chapters of our past. Help us to look with grace and courage at the moments that have shaped us—both the joys and the struggles. Lord, we invite You into every part of our story, trusting that You see us with love and understanding. Heal the wounds that still echo within us, and bring peace to the memories that have yet to find rest. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 164: 3 Key Lessons for Journaling in Difficult Seasons
• Episode 147: The Flip-Out Rule in Journaling
• Episode 98: Grief Has A Way Of… Well, Getting In The Way: A Personal Letter From Me To You

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