Stories and Metaphors

Foreword

This is not my story. My story is part of a larger story. God is the author of this story, and I am just one character in that story. What do I want for my life? I want my part of the story to be a good chapter. Simple as that. Donald Miller, one of my favorite authors, talks about the elements of a good story in his book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. They are:

1. A character.

2. Who wants something.

3. And overcomes conflict to get it.

That's it!

So lets review what you have learned about me so far:

-I want to live a good story (speaking of stories, one of my favorite movies is Toy Story which, I believe, is an excellent story).

-I trust that God is writing that story (Which is, as Shai Linne Says, "The Greatest Story Ever Told").

-I love metaphors (running is one of my favorite metaphors, not to mention activities).

-I like to read (memoirs, fiction, Ann Lamott, Chuck Palaniuck, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foers, C.S. Lewis, among others).

What will I write?

I would like to share things I have been learning. That is what is most interesting to me, and I hope it interests the reader also. The theme may not be concrete, and it may take shape as we (the other contributors and I) begin to lay the foundation of this digital conversation. I think that lessons learned are easily understood when they are presented in metaphorical terms. Look at Jesus and his parables, Aesop and his fables, or any good teacher trying to convey an abstract concept. Any metaphor, like any good story, has three elements:

Topic

Image

Point of Similarity

My hope is that I can make explicit the point of similarity, without dissecting the creature into isolated specimen. I hope that the point of similarity connects the dots for the reader also.

Thanks,

Ryan