Your Story is More Than Your Story

Have you ever read a story that only had one character?
A character that interacted with nobody else?
Better yet, have you ever known anyone whose story affected nobody else?

I don’t believe that is possible.

Others are affected by our stories. By our lives. And in those times when we decide to rewrite our story, in essence we are rewriting at least a portion of others’ stories as well.

My point?

Be watchful how you live out your story.

This train of thought began with a reminder of an incredible happening from 2012.

In the Navarre region of northern Spain, a cross-country race took place. A Kenyan runner, Abel Mutai, was nearing the finish line and got confused, thinking he had already crossed it. Ivan Fernandez was a Spanish runner just behind him and he was yelling at Mutai to keep going but Mutai didn’t understand Spanish. So Fernandez, using hand gestures signaling him to keep going, caught up to Mutai and pushed him across the finish line. When asked why he didn’t run past him and take the win, Fernandez is quoted as saying:

“I didn’t deserve to win it. He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn’t have closed if he hadn’t made a mistake. As soon as I saw he was stopping, I knew I wasn’t going to pass him.”

Wow.

So that begs the question…
What would you have done?
What would I have done?

But even those answers aren’t the point.
The point is that Fernandez decision created a winning story for Mutai that could have been a painfully regretful losing story had Fernandez made a different decision.

Our stories are not just our own.
Our stories are woven into numerous other stories, some of which we may never know.

I wonder, if we paid attention, how many times we could make positive differences in the stories of those we come in contact with today.

Brenda is a believer in impossible possibilities. In brokenness becoming beautiful. In justice and mercy and honor and power – with love perfecting them all. She is a wife, mom, mimi, daughter, and friend who also enjoys speaking, writing, and coaching.