If you've read any of my previous posts, you know I love people's stories. I love to hear their greatest memories, the pieces they feel formed them as a person, their trials and challenges.
Every person is a woven tapestry. Each thread is a distinct color and piece of the story, ducking beside, behind, over, and around all the other threads.
At the beginning of any conversation, I never know if I'm getting to see a small, independent image within the greater work or an entire quadrant explaining how all the threads connect to form the author.
Regardless, I listen as the storyteller reveals who they are thread by thread. Some narrators take delight in only giving me a smidge. Others readily share the corners that are important to them, saving the majority of the picture for themselves. Occasionally, I encounter the one who revels in giving me their entire masterpiece faster than I can absorb it all, enjoying my reactions to their yarn.
Whichever type of story-weaver I encounter, it is important to stand close to see the beauty of every thread.
Then, just as important, I have to remember to take a couple of steps back to appreciate the treasure God has put together. After all, he really is the weaver. We are just his artisans in this world.
This is one of Raphel's tapestries, currently hanging in the Sistine Chapel. From the Vatican Museum website.
