We All Have a Story to Tell

My English II students have kicked the year off with "The Pearl," by John Steinbeck. If you've read Steinbeck ("Of Mice and Men," "The Grapes of Wrath," or "East of Eden") then you know how gloomy and raw he can be.

"The Pearl" is all about the pain of wanting a thing too much and the tragedy that thing can befall humanity when it is found. Very seldom does life work the way it was intended, and humanity becomes animalistic and broken.

This particular Steinbeck work revolves around the journey of a native Mexican family who find the pearl of the world amid great poverty, then have to fight to keep that pearl and risk everything. As the story begins, the native roots focus strongly on tradition and culture. The protagonist, Kino, lives by the beat of the Song of the Family, a song his father and grandfather lived by, but occasionally, the Song of Evil creeps in.

I asked my sophomore students to pen their songs... What beat do they march to? What defines them? What sets them apart? What rhythm might their life song take?

The honesty of several students shocked me. Some of my students are broken and weary.

Here are a few of the songs that stood out.

"My song would involve a lot of pain and anguish. It would scream instability as well as misunderstanding. Their wouldn’t be a light at the end of the tunnel, no happy ending, and certainly no signs of family. In my song I would be alone facing the problems of the world, experiencing no mercy or remorse, just pain and anguish. My mask may be impenetrable but my song is raw and vulnerable."

"My song would probably be a mix of sadness and happiness. I’m generally a happy person but then again, I’m sad at times also. It’s usually easy to tell when I am sad about something. But the majority of the time my song is a happy one which I’m guessing that is what a lot of peoples songs are. My music would mainly be a mix of slow music and rap or something in that area."

"My song would be about… a happy, but troubled girl who tries not to show the troubled side of her. So she tries to fit in. She is a small girl with a big personality, but doesn’t know what to do with her personality (meaning how to make it have a purpose in her life). She is scared, it’s part of her troubled side, same with her past, so she hides that along with everything else she is holding inside from the world. She wants to not care anymore, but puts up with too many judging people. She’s a cute young lady who is clean cut, but on the inside she is a mess. One of her favorite things to do is listen to songs she can relate to, and think about the lyrics. The beat would be slow, a soft tune, not depressing, but one that makes you think. It would be one of those nice slow songs by John Mayer or He is We. You could even put it as a rap, but it would relate more to Indie."

"My song is a very different one. As I walk around and move about my day, there is a beating drum faintly in the background playing endlessly. And then when something strikes my emotions, whether it be for good or bad, a bass guitar and electric guitar join in with the drum changing the tempo of my day. What happens next is entirely dependent on the day, the people, and what is happening. Because at that moment there is a silence. Then all at once every instrument starts up loudly, capturing my attention and the words vary on what is happening. It could be a song of idle bliss, or a song of utter chaos and anger. Sometimes it turns into a song with an underlined meaning that hides from plain sight, building up and up until it almost bursts into a song of panic and sadness, with anger and hate exploding from my soul. And then all at once, everything goes silent."

"My song, I would have to say, is the Song of Difference. Why? I’ll tell you. My whole life I never fit in with all the other kids because I choose to be who I am and not who others choose to make me into. I am independent! I am proud! I am me and no one will change it. I don’t’ care what others think of me or the names I’m called. What I care about is myself and the people who choose to accept me how I am. My song sounds rebellious, almost metal but more of a postcore style.

"My song is the song of peace. One of the things I cherish most is when everyone gets along, with no fighting or rudeness towards others. Also, in my song I am for standing up for others. I could live my whole life being there for people. If it is for friends, family, strangers or enemies. If they need help I am there. My song would be fast with the sound of laughter in it. It would have a lot of percussion in it. I would listen to my song morning and night and when I am down or sad."

One student mentioned the band He is We. Here is one of the band's songs I stumbled upon today, which has surprisingly striking lyrics.

Happily Ever After
He is We

Let me riddle you a ditty, it's just an itty bitty, little thing on my mind.
About a boy and a girl, trying to take on the world one kiss at a time.
Now the funny thing about, ain't a story without it, but the story is mine.
And I wish you could say, that it ended just fine.

We all want to know, how it ends.

Oh, happily ever after, wouldn't you know, wouldn't you know.
Oh, skip to the ending, who'd like to know, I'd like to know.
Author of the moment, can you tell me, do I end up, do I end up happy?

Inhale, breathe steady, exhale, like you're ready, if you're ready or not.
Just a boy and a girl gonna to take on the world, and we want to get caught.
In the middle of a very happy ending, let's see what we've got, let's give it a shot.
Let's give it a shot.

We all want to know, how it ends.

Oh, happily ever after, wouldn't you know, wouldn't you know.
Oh, skip to the ending, who'd like to know, I'd like to know.
Author of the moment, can you tell me, do I end up, do I end up happy?

We all have a story to tell.
Whether we whisper or yell.
We all have a story, of adolescence and all it's glory.
We all have a story to tell.

Oh, happily ever after, wouldn't you know, wouldn't you know.
Oh, skip to the ending, who'd like to know, I'd like to know.
Author of the moment, can you tell me, do I end up, do I end up happy?

We all have a story to tell.
We all have a story to tell.
We all have a story to tell.
We all have a story to tell.

These kids really all do have a story to tell, and some of them have lived entire lifetimes in their fifteen years.

I catch myself saying, "God, why am I here!" I can get so angry, and lonely, and tired.

And then I get a glimpse of how my students feel. And I'm convicted. Because I know Love, and I have hope, and eternal joy is coming!

What better place to be then here, where students are hungry for hope, and joy, and Love?

Kooskia, Idaho may be broken, but He is whole.

Refreshing Wisdom

My father-in-law, Don, is turning fifty. Tomorrow! The joy of birthdays ebbs and flows, but fifty should be a memorable one. Josh and I had dinner with Don and Patty, as well as an older gentleman, Harold, from the Weippe church.

Dinners with Don and Patty are always a bit reviving for me. There aren't many people I feel free to let my hair down with here, and Josh is kind of in the same boat. When you become "the pastor" or "the teacher," the circle of trust shrinks a bit. I don't know if that happens to everyone, but it sure has happened to us, so we relish the moments when we can be real.

Sitting around a card table on our porch, waiting to eat food from Dutch ovens, laughing back and forth as we shared stories, Harold was asked to pray for the food.

"Lord, today was a good day. And you've given us lots of good days. Thanks for saving us..."

Harold finished praying, then he told us a story.

Back in Harold's youth, he knew a man who turned every opportunity into a "God moment."

This un-named friend was out late one evening, and someone tried to rob him. With a gun in his ribs, Harold's friend began to laugh. The robber said, "What's so funny," and the man reached around to his wallet, opened it, and showed the robber just how much money he had: zero.

Harold's friend asked the robber if he'd like to come up to his apartment for some food. "I don't have any money, but I've got food, and you're welcome to it."

Harold said they talked late into the evening, and by 4:00 in the morning, the robber was on his knees yelling, "Lord! Save me!"

And then Harold said something that is still echoing around in my brain.

"How many opportunities do we miss? How many opportunities have I missed?"

And me as well.

How many?

A man who tried to rob Harold's friend found Christ on the floor with the man he tried to rob. I've snubbed people for far less.

Harold gave me a new perspective on ministry tonight. And it's hard. But again I say, God never promised that it would be easy, as I am finding with most things in this life. Yes, some seasons are smoother than others, and some people are easier to love, but that shouldn't halt ministry, and it shouldn't staunch Love.

Today was a good day. It may not have been my birthday, but I'll cherish this one.

Lord, thanks for saving us.