Retelling Your Sacred Story

3. Any False Narratives:

Ask Jesus: Are there any false, deeply held beliefs about myself based on what someone did to me or didn’t do for me? Notice what comes up, and write that in your journal. Not all false beliefs are easy to identify, so don’t be concerned if you do not immediately think of any.

4. Let Jesus Retell Your Story:

Prayerfully, invite Jesus into your story. Sit with him without hurry. Ask him anything about it that you want to know. Wait upon him. Ask him to redeem your story . . . to re-story it. Notice how re-story is very close to restore. Jesus may answer you in a still small voice today, or he may unfold his truth gradually. His redemptive power can break connections between the mistreatment and your false belief—how he does that is individual, and Jesus knows what you need. Write in your journal any ways that Jesus heals your false narrative or sense of yourself. Ask him to replace any lies with the truth. Remember that this exercise might need to be repeated more than once, and it might be best done with a trained professional, especially if you are already seeing such a person.

5. Retell Your Story:

If you have done this exercise on your own, now tell your story to a trusted friend, priest, pastor, counselor, or spiritual director. Share the harm done to you, but you do not need to disclose the pain in too much detail. Next share what false belief about yourself you identified that you have been living out of as a result. Tell how Jesus is re-storying the incident that led you to the false belief. Focus on the re-storying that Jesus is doing. Let the listener interact or ask you questions.

We are not what has happened to us. Healing is a journey and whether or not you always feel it, the Healer is your constant companion. Jesus is writing your story with you.

Re-storying assault: Faramir struggled with the belief that he had to prove himself to his father, and almost stole the ring of power to do so. But the part of him that knew the truth won. The truth became the bigger story. Faramir eventually rejected the story that his wounds from his father told, and he chose to act in a way that was worthy of love and admiration. Faramir released Frodo and the ring, refusing to let his father’s opinion of him define him or cause him to try to earn his father’s love by capturing a prize for him.

Re-storying withdrawal: Cinderella was hurt by her isolation, but she befriended mice. She felt dejected when she wasn’t allowed to go to the ball, but she dared to dream and in the end became a princess! She broke out of the lies her circle of origin wanted her to believe about herself—and so can you.

Yes, these are stories of fiction, but they are good stories because they are true. Indeed, we are princesses and princes because we are children of the King! Real Faramirs and real Cinderellas do overcome the false narrative that they are what has happened to them. Disapproval, rejection, and isolation don’t get the last word in our souls.

Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

(Psalm 103:1-5 NIV)