I know I have talked about this many times before, but I have for a long time now–perhaps all of my life–struggled with an addiction to stories. I know, it sounds silly. But in all honesty, stories are my drug of choice. Just as alcoholics drown themselves in alcohol, I always seem to end up drowning myself in books, movies, and TV shows. Last year, it came to a climax when the Lord led me to fast from stories for a month, and since then, the struggle against overindulging has been near the forefront of my mind.
Yet still, despite a few victories, I seem to always end up failing the battle. This past weekend was a prime example: All Saturday, I sat in my room watching a show. As I watched it, part of me was yelling, “Why am I doing this? I don’t even like this show. I have so many better things to be doing–like a ton of homework. Why can’t I stop myself?” Finally the Lord stepped in on Sunday, and I was able to wake back up at least a little bit out of my story-drunken stupor.
As I was praying today, I had a sudden idea, a way to use my love of stories to glorify God, hopefully a healthier way of looking at fiction, and that is where this comes in. This is an introduction to a new series I am going to be writing, in which I look at stories and find themes, ideas, messages, or allegories of Biblical themes and principles. I invite you to join with me. Is there a specific story you’d particularly like me to explore? Is there a story you could look at on your own? Have you seen the Lord in fiction? Share with us your ideas, and let this be a forum for redeeming fictional stories.
I am excited to begin this journey with you :)
Look for my first foray into story exploration soon!
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