Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Who has the rights to your story?


We sat in the movie theater as the ending scenes of "Saving Mr. Banks" played out on the big screen.
My husband and I were both moved to tears as Emma Thompson, playing P.L. Travers, the pen name of the author of the Mary Poppins books, watched the premier of Walt Disney's version of her book.
After a twenty year battle she had finally relinquished the rights to her story to Walt Disney, and in doing so, she experienced a great amount of personal inner healing.

The movie impacted both of us greatly, but for my husband it became a quest.  He wanted to know how much of the story was true.  He wanted to know more about  P. L.Travers, more about Walt Disney. For weeks he researched and read.  His research led him to the conclusion that "Saving Mr. Banks" is a pretty accurate depiction of both people and their stories.

For my husband, the movie didn't just spark his curiosity.  He became convinced that God had used this movie to speak to him and that God had given him a message that he was to share.  

The first Sunday of 2014, when the people of our church entered into the church sanctuary they noticed a very large multicolored kite with a long tail hanging from the ceiling, and kites of various colors mounted here and there on the walls, a reminder of the song, "Let's Go Fly a Kite" that was a pivotal moment in "Saving Mr. Banks" and in the Disney movie, "Mary Poppins".   That Sunday, my husband began a series of messages called, "The Happiest Place on Earth".  The first in the series of messages was, "Who has the rights to your story?"  He used the movie as an illustration.  He reiterated how for years, Mrs. Travers fought Walt Disney refusing to relinquish the rights to her story, fearful of what he would do with it.  My husband compared that with us being fearful of giving God the rights to our story, of not trusting what He will do with it.  However, just as we saw in the movie, in the relinquishment of her story, Mrs. Travers found healing from long ago wounds.  My husband said, as we relinquish the rights to our story God wants to use our own story to heal us and set us free.

I was on the front row that Sunday, in my usual pastor's wife seat, saying my amens to what he said.  I believe it with my whole heart.  For here, in this little place online, I have let God have my story, and when He has said to share it, I have.  In that process, healing has come not just for me, but for others who have read my story and related to some of the things that I have written about.

God doesn't waste our story.  He doesn't waste the good parts and He doesn't throw out the bad parts. He doesn't waste our wounds.  Everything, our highest highs and our lowest lows, He truly does work together for our good.  Just as a delicious chocolate cake has the blandness of flour in it, the savoriness of salt in it, the bitterness of baking cocoa in it, and the sweetness of sugar in it, yet all mixed together it is something delicious, in the same way God mixes the sweet and the bitter of our life into something wonderful.  First though, we have to let Him.  We have to trust Him with the rights to our story.  We have to trust, that like Walt Disney did with P.L. Traver's book,  that God's glorious imagination will do more with our story than we could ever ask or think.

Today, (in)courage is asking you to join in and register for an (in)Real Life meeting in April.  This is a meeting where you will hear women sharing their stories, and where you can share yours.  Last year's (in)RL was life changing for me and the group of women I watched it with. I heard stories from women I have known for almost two decades that I had never heard before, stories they finally relinquished the rights to, and in doing so we all experienced the healing touch of God.

Who has the rights to your story, friend?  It's a story we all need to hear.

still following,

     


at 3-D Lessons for Life

22 comments:

  1. I fought back tears reading this post. I just love everything about it. I love how curious your husband is, how thorough, how creative, how willing to use a secular story or two to make a point about God. I love how encouraging you are: of him, and of all of us. And I love the overall message and believe it: that my story matters and that God can use every aspect of it if I'm obedient and open.

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    1. I've been blessed by your story time and again on your blog. Keep on telling it, friend.

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  2. I just love the way God can speak and inspire us through anything....I also love that we as believers are looking for God in all things....I would love to hear your husbands series from this movie.. My hubby does the same thing.. God has spoken to him through some wieird and unusual situations and things....A dog named Shasta..... Who's your Daddy form the Titan's.... We are blessed! thanks for sharing and have a great week! Blessings! Oh yeah, stopped over at "tell your story".. great posts via some of those ladies...

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    1. Yes, God spoke through a donkey in the story of Balaam in the Bible so I guess He can use whatever He wants to get His message to us!

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  3. Elizabeth, my husband and Idid the same thing after we saw 'Mr. Banks'--came home and scoured the internet for the facts and the backstory of Disney and P.L. Travers. Pretty fascinating.
    I'm intrigued by this meet up....will have to give it some thought. I know my story (my life as a child of alcoholics and divorce) is somewhere in me....Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. It's in giving God the rights to our story that He gives us the wisdom what to share, how to share it and when to share. For example, there's things I write now about my Mama and Daddy that I wouldn't necessarily have shared when they were alive.

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  4. Such an encouraging post. I have shared some of my story on my own blog, some was shared on a guest post in someone else's blog and some more is hidden deep within journal books for no one read or hear.
    Maybe some day it all will be shared in one place.

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    1. In giving God the rights to your story, He will give you wisdom about what to share publicly and what not to share.

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  5. I have not yet seen this movie. I must see it! Thank you for always being so encouraging and inspiring. I'm all signed up for an IRL meet up. Can't wait!

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  7. I read this post this evening as we drove to see 'Saving Mr. Banks'. We just came home and I read your blog (again) to my sweetheart. We were both moved by the story behind the movie and I will research more, as I often do. My sweetheart and I were touched with your words and the way your hubby let God speak to His heart in new ways - and how he shared that message that is so needed. While reading your blog I was challenged to share more of my own story on my blog and to pursue a dream I've had for several years to write my story, a legacy for my children and grandchildren. My dear mother is in poor health and her memory has new challenges. She is nearly finished writing her story and God has laid on my heart to help her complete her story while there is still time to do it with her. Thank you SO MUCH, my dear friend for allowing God to work and speak through you. I love the way God uses you in my life!
    ~Adrienne~

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    1. I loved the movie and hope you and your hubs enjoyed it too!

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  8. I cannot wait to read more of your blog posts. This one was so encouraging.

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    1. I'm so glad you popped by Deborah and took the time to comment!

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  9. Oh, Elizabeth. This is SO good. We saw Saving Mr. Banks over the holidays and absolutely loved it. But I hadn't made the spiritual analogy that you and your husband did. How true it is that we need to relinquish the rights to our story and let God use it however he wants to. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you, Lisa. You have been a great encouragement to me ever since I started bloggging.

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  10. I haven't seen the movie yet...

    Your post made me sign up for (in)RL. I didn't see any local meet ups yet... do you know of any?

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    1. Jill, I'm going to host a meet-up, but in Vancouver, where our church is located. You should sign up to host one...it's super easy. Have a few ladies into your home with some snacks and watch the sessions and talk. Really the sessions open up the women for discussion in amazing ways.

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    2. Thanks for the encouragement....I'll think about it : )

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  11. That line about God not wasting your story... SO, SO true. This is really good, my friend. Really good. Important words you're speaking into lives, here in this space.

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    1. Thanks so much, Jennifer. You were my biggest encouragement when I first started blogging. You have made a big difference in my life. I appreciate you so much!

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