Have you ever wondered how those powerful stories, words, and word pictures in the Bible have made their way to us in 2022 – to impact us, lead us and guide us?
After all, the first stories in Genesis are about the creation of the earth and of man – so that was a long time ago, for sure! And who was snapping photos, writing down the words, taking notes? Oops – no cameras, no pen and paper, no cell phone selfies. How could that stuff get preserved? Am I the only one who wonders about that?
Well – after some more in-depth research, I can tell you there is a lot of info out there. So I am not alone. And it helped me with the perspective that was on my mind – storytelling. And I don’t mean the “liar, fibber” definition.
Various mediums have shown up throughout history – cave dweller drawings, for instance. I suspect pretty amazing stories were being told and handed down about the animal drawn on the cave wall (which is the earliest pictorial they have).
As one source put it — “….storytelling has managed to be a constant pillar in our societies and has fundamentally allowed us to mold our perception between right and wrong. Storytelling can be found scattered in most human societies, popping up as myths, legends, or most commonly religion….”
According to that source, visual storytelling goes back to around 36,000 years ago. Again, caves in southern France. And think about the evolution to pyramids, vases, frescoes, tapestries, statues, canvases, eventually photographs (1826 is the world’s oldest known photo). Other sources put carvings and cave engravings and paintings back to 700,000 BC. Wow!
The written support for Bible transcripts go back to the Hebrew Old Testament being hand copied meticulously by teams of Jewish scribes over the centuries. Their accuracy was confirmed by the Dead Sea Scrolls in about 300 BC (as well as parallel manuscripts). Yep, discovered in caves!
Why am I so focused on visual and written storytelling?
As I have been developing my course which guides people through capturing the spirit and essence of their life-story in a photobook, both visual and written storytelling are the key elements. As a fellow photobook creator said, it is publishing with pictures. I can’t think of a better combo.
I would love to know the story behind that early cave drawing of a 4-legged deer-type animal! We can only guess because we have no words or stories passed down about it. And as for the biblical story of the parting of the Red Sea so the Israelites could cross on “dry” land, what I wouldn’t give for a snapshot photo of THAT!
So it is clear to me that photos and words together are the most powerful storytellers. That spurs me on to encourage the preservation of both in this day and age when we have both – and though fewer in number, we have both in our more recent ancestors’ lives.
But again, the “why”! As I returned to the scripture which inspired my online business focus – Journey Well: Heart Body & Soul – I saw something interesting I want to share with you.
Deuteronomy 6:5 was my guiding verse – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Of course, Israel and their God are the main focus of biblical journeys, stories and lessons. And Israelites are teachers by example (good & bad) for believers in biblical times and today.
So what was Moses saying in these passages? Look at the first verse — “These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess….” And here is a crucial point in verse 2 — “so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.”
Later, he adds another desirable – “so that it may go well with you….”.
We are narrowing in on that “why” question.
More support — “These commandments…are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
That seems to cover just about everywhere!
And it addresses not just their “present” situation, it addresses the “future” reason for being so deliberate in remembering. “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?’ tell him: We were slaves….” and it goes on to summarize the history of Israel being led out of Egypt and brought to the promised land. Next came the capstone — “that will be our righteousness.” And who doesn’t want that?
I keep running into this point – that God keeps his covenant “to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.”
Come forward with me to our age of digital storytelling – it has only been around since the late 90’s when individuals began to have computers in their homes.
It has been demonstrated that, as a species, we have an everlasting need to tell and be told stories. I love Lisa Cron’s quote in Wired for Story, “Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution – more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to.”
And that’s my point – made especially for those ‘oh-so-many’ of you who, when facing the capturing of their Life-Story in a photobook, say “no one cares about my story” or something similar.
Nothing could be further from the truth – every one of us has a unique story with life lessons and character-building events that would be treasures for our children, grandchildren and future generations (whether related to us or not).
Leslie Leyland Fields, author of Your Story Matters: Finding, Writing and Living the Truth of Your Life” says it beautifully:
“No – this act of turning around to write into our lives is about recovering what’s been lost and discovering all that’s new….But we have this chance now to stop….We’re stopping to find the difficult and beautiful truths of our lives….there is no part of human experience not worthy of attention, illumination, and restoration.”
I love how she expressed how so many of us feel –
“Maybe you have no idea what your “story” is, and you aren’t sure you want to take the time to find out. I get it. I was about forty when I began to write about my life, and I was barely able to describe the hundred coexistent pieces, let alone imagine a single story from their frayed ends.”
After describing the writing of her story, she wrote this…..”Those words carved and shaped an identity and belonging I didn’t know was mine to claim. My story was both harder and better than I knew. Yours will be the same…. Once you start, such clarity, discovery, and consolations will come to you that you will not want to stop. You’ll realize that pursuing your story is also a pursuit of meaning in this wearisome life. Which means it’s also a search for magic, for divine surprise, perhaps even a glimpse of God.”
She says eloquently what one of the testers of my course echoed when she shared: The Life Story really opened my eyes to so much understanding of my current life and values….I also saw God’s love for me as I grew up, how he blessed me, protected me, and grew me. Words cannot describe, but photos often do….”
It’s ACTION TIME, folks – my course is being launched this week. (“Create Your Life-Story Album in 3 Easy Steps Without the OVERWHELM”) I love “systems” and this workalong course delivers a system that guides you to be the author publishing stories & life lessons along with the photos that bring it all home. (And yes, delivery of the course is in January)
Watch for the next email from me in just a day or so. Imagine what it would be like to hold in your hand a 12×12 photobook containing the robust and treasured over-arching story of your life (or a loved one’s). I received some great questions and feedback from last week and will be addressing those in that upcoming email.P.S. There is a catch! There are some big obstacles that stop people in their tracks – so I have addressed the top ones and explained how you can overcome them. Just click the link to get my free download “The Top 3 Reasons Your Life-Story Book is Not Done YET…& How you can go from ‘I Can’t Imagine” to “It’s DONE!” Click HERE.
