Reading · Ruth's Story Bytes

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” -1 Corinthians 1:26-29 ESV

Why do you write?

As I look back over my life, I shake my head and chuckle at some of the unexpected places God has used me for His glory:

Editing, formatting, and compiling syllabi for faculty members of Prairie Bible College as a summer college student. (I had no formal training in any of the required skills.)
Assistant manager of Prairie Bookstore at the age of twenty-two. (I was the youngest of the full-time staff.)
President and one of the head cooks of Glendon Catering Club, where the specialty is Ukrainian food. (I am not Ukrainian and had never made any cabbage rolls, nalysnyky, or perogies before I started working with the club.)
School Board trustee with Northern Lights Public Schools. (I was a stay-at-home parent with no previous political experience.)
RLS Creativity Publishing (I did not dream of becoming a writer, being a published author, or helping others publish their books.)

Every one of those opportunities had something in common. Before I ever said yes, I felt unqualified. I believed someone else could do a better job. I worried about making mistakes. I imagined all the reasons people might decide I wasn’t the right person.

Fear has accompanied almost every assignment God has given me.

Interestingly, none of those roles scare me as much as sharing my own story.

Editing someone else’s words? Comfortable.
Cooking? Fine.
Organizing a project? I can do that.

But writing honestly about infertility, adoption, divorce, disappointment, parenting children with disabilities, or the places where my faith has been stretched? That’s when I begin worrying about what people will think. As a recovering people pleaser, I instinctively want to protect myself from criticism, misunderstanding, and rejection.

If I’m honest, my reasons for hiding my stories usually sound something like this:

What if people misunderstand me?
What if they judge me?
What if someone else’s story is more powerful?
What if I say too much (or not enough)?
What if my story isn’t worth telling?

Underneath all those questions lie three familiar companions: fear, shame, and comparison.

Fear asks, What will happen if I share this?
Shame whispers, What happened proves something is wrong with me.
Comparison insists, Someone else has already told this story better.

Perhaps that’s why we hide our stories: we think God is looking for polished people with impressive testimonies.

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Yet Scripture paints a different picture: God has always delighted in using imperfect, unlikely, and seemingly unqualified people who choose to say, “Yes!” God wants (and deserves) all the glory.

The power has never been in the storyteller. It is in the One writing the story.

The stories we’re most tempted to hide are often the very stories someone else needs to hear. Not because we’re the heroes. But because they point to the One who is.

Maybe courage is trusting that God can use even the chapters we’d rather keep hidden.

So, why do I write?

I write so others know they are not alone.
I write to honour and glorify the One who created me.
I write to think through difficult questions and gain clarity.
I write so others can learn from my mistakes and experiences.
I write because I feel compelled to put into words what God is teaching me.

Why do you write, and which of these three barriers most often tempts you to keep your story hidden: fear, shame, or comparison?

3 Reasons We Hide Our Stories

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