Storyteller

Storyteller // ˈstɔːrɪtɛlə 
Synonyms -  teller of tales, spinner of yarns, raconteur, chronicler, anecdotalist
Spanish -  cuentista

There is something incredibly significant about storytelling. Ever since my primary school days, I've loved a good story, and it's there that I fell in love with writing, too. My main struggle to begin with was being too concise. I wasn't describing things well and my stories were barely a page long. I was trying so hard to keep to the 'rules' that I wasn't getting anywhere... 

Then, one day, something clicked. I remember the moment I discovered creativity - writing page after page after page. It all began to flow. From that point onwards, I was a storyteller. 

Now, 17 years later,  I get paid to write and share stories - something I'm constantly surprised and amazed by. The most significant and exciting part of my day-to-day is receiving an update that's happening and being the one who gets to release it to the world. 

But where there's something significant about storytelling, there's huge responsibility attached to story-sharing. It is a very special privilege, when someone chooses to share their story with you. And relaying that encounter in the right way is absolutely vital.

Last week, I travelled to Beirut, Lebanon, for six days with a few others from work. My role throughout the trip was to absorb and listen to everything going on. And I was absolutely humbled and joyed to do so. 

On our very first day, we sat with some Syrian refugees who shared their stories with us. Horrendous tales filled with huge challenges: police encounters, miles of walking; encountering danger and fear every step of the way. A reality that literally millions of refugees face because they've had to leave their own homes to find new ones that might be safer. Their struggle is ongoing but they are fiercely resilient and determined.

Yet, their story at the present moment is one of uncertainty for the future. 

The next day, I heard more about the team serving in Lebanon - how they faced challenges in learning Arabic; wrestled with being in such a foreign culture; but also how they've overcome and how, now, Beirut feels like home. They are a testament to how serving others can bring such great joy.

Their story at the present moment is listening to God's voice and trusting in his provision. 

Over the weekend we travelled to a few beautiful places and I learnt about the history of Lebanon - a beautiful country with a rich cultural heritage; a place that has been broken far too many times but is defiantly standing still and contains people who crave for a brighter future.

The story of Lebanon at the present moment is still unfolding.

After hearing all of this, I wrestled with my self-given title of storyteller. My story at present is someone who is pretty settled in one place, in one job, in one house - with not much to say. I'd rather classify myself as a story-listener, or a story-sharer, or even a story-lover. 

Because the more stories I hear, the more I recognise their significance and value their role in cultures all over our globe. We relate to one another; care for one another; share with one another; learn from one another by the stories that we share. 

"Cuentista" simply means "storyteller" in Spanish, and the above photo was taken in the centre of Beirut. It was a funny word to stumble across in a middle-eastern city, yet as I reflected on it, I realised more and more about the significance of my trip.

Our stories are ever-changing depending on what we encounter. But they are not just our own. My story is now entangled with those individuals and communities I met in Lebanon - moments that we shared, together, are now part of our joint narrative that we can both proclaim together. When we shared our stories, we shared ourselves.

The reality is that we are all storytellers - it is a fundamental part of our human identity to share together and recount moments both small and significant. And I'm so grateful we were created this way. It means we can sit down with any other human -  someone who might be from a different country, culture or life-stage - and connect on that basis enough. Stories unite us. They form us. They are significant indeed.