A few weeks ago, after hearing a motivational speech from Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz author), I had a brilliant blog in my head. However, after weeks of processing it has been slightly tweaked.
Miller spoke about life as a story, and the essential need for an exciting plot and conflict. Immediately the plot triangle ran through my head. Plot- Introduction, Rising Action, Climax/Turning Point, Falling Action, Conclusion.
That is one of the many Word Wall words I test my students on. I never suspected it would show up at a Christian conference. I taught plot all week and the last thing I needed on a Friday night was a repeat of my own lessons. I was not looking forward to his talk. However, he had some interesting points. He challenged the crowd to not settle for a mundane ordinary story, but seek out a story that would make a difference in the world. He explained how movies and stories we love are full of conflict, not ordinary.
All I could think about was how easily we, females especially, settle for a 1-star-movie storyline. Almost every girl longs for a chick-flick like romance story. But how many chick-flicks make millions at the box office? Titanic made millions, but the guy dies. Who wants that story? The ordinary happily-ever-after story is only mildly interesting. Somehow we have bought in to the lie that the best story to have is a romance. There is so much more.
The story that came to mind was The Hiding Place, the story of Corrie Ten Boom. The film version, made in 1975, is a little slow. However, it can hold the attention of my at-risk students just as much as any other big budget movie. Why? Because it is an amazing story about how someone made a difference. They don't understand much about the reasons Corrie does what she does, they just know there is something gripping about the story. Corrie never marries, but her story is so much better than a romance. God uses her in great ways. Would I be willing to trade in my mediocre dream plot for one more timeless and impactful?
As Miller challenged us to pray for a new mission, a powerful story, I thought about my story. I'm an English teacher named Erin working with at-risk high school students inspiring them with stories about life and the Holocaust. Sound familiar? I saw that movie last year. It's been done...Freedom Writers. Not only that, but in the movie, Erin looses McDreamy because she is so devoted to her students. That WILL NOT be my story. I left the conference convinced I needed a NEW story. I was ready to blog away all you have just read.
A few weeks later, God has taught me a lot. Work is crazy right now. Not crazy like I'm a teacher and I'm busy, crazy like the demands are so extreme that so many other teachers even tell me to leave. As my coworkers stressed, I managed to stay stress free but became really discouraged. All I could think about was a better story. Anyone could do my job. I would be much better off serving somewhere like Romania, New York City, or in some youth ministry. I wanted out of my current story.
The past few days at work haven't been any better or worse than any other. But I love my students. I enjoy teaching them so much. Perhaps I am not in need of a new story. Perhaps God is just teaching me through my current situation to prepare me for a turning point. My job will not be forever; I know that already. Who knows, maybe this is my last year? Or maybe there are a few more year in me? I think I'm ready for the turning point now, but honestly at this point I don't even know what the story is about. My story has just barely moved past the introduction and is now into the rising action. The turning point will come soon enough. I may not know what genre of story I am in, but I know that the stories God creates are never mediocre.
