What do I want?
What do I want? It seems to be a question we ask often, sometimes even out loud. A search on google today found it being asked online about eight and a half million times. We add different phrases to the end, like:
- to do
- to eat
- to say
- for my birthday
- for Christmas
- from my spouse
- in life
- to major in
- to do for a living
You can google Abraham Maslow for a very famous answer formed in a sort of pyramid of priorities for survival.
Here is my answer to the question.
I want to be part of a larger story, a big story, an important story. I think we all want that. How many movies start with a regular Joe unwillingly becoming part of a bigger story? From Luke Skywalker and Fox Mulder, to Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins, we like seeing someone become a part of something big. Now, it matters what they do. It means something. The stakes are raised. It draws us in.
Like any other want, desire, or need, this one can get us in trouble if we try to meet it the wrong way.
We seek affiliation, association, membership into whatever seems “big” to us at the time, or whatever seems accessible at the time. Or, we act as if we are the big story, or our career is the story, or even that our drive down the highway is the big story with all the associated road rage that plays a part. When we believe there is no story, we get depressed. When we believe the story isn’t being told by someone trustworthy, we get anxious. When we try to grab at the author’s pen, we get compulsive. When we assume we know the role another should play, we get critical. When we overestimate our role, we get narcissistic. When we don’t like the pace of the story, we get addicted.
Yeah, I want food, clothing and shelter. But, I also want a larger story.
I believe I am a part of a larger story. It’s hard for me to imagine a bigger story than the story God is telling about the redemption of our world. It may be that someday we find out that humanity’s redemption story is a subplot in something even bigger that God is doing. But, for now that’s the big one.
I don’t know exactly what my role is or lines are for any particular day. I’m not sure when one scene will end and another begin. I’m not sure which tensions will resolve and which will thicken the plot. I can’t even be sure how big my role is. But, I do know that I am a character in the story. I have a place. It matters what I do. It has meaning because of The Story.
David Hamilton
This corresponds well with a chapter I read in one of Joe Stowell’s books regarding “significance”. After food and water, we all desire significance. We must find it in the right place–in the fact that Jesus loves us and He died for us, and in the “bigger story” you describe here. Too often we do things to gain significance, but they are the wrong things. We should think about the things we do … are doing … question our motives for doing them. Are we doing things to achieve significance for ourselves; are they right things to do?
Wow!
Significance…. I matter…. (working on this one)
I suppose I should stop talking the Authors pen out of His hand and let Him write my story. I need to realize I have a part and its important…. I can’t help but wonder how or what it is though.. And I still can’t help but believe what others wrote to be my story as true…. (we know what believing leads to… It leads to behaving on that belief and than being moved by it… And believing in a false script of your life is dangerous) I think i have been miss lead by some writers who tried to write my destiny… I am trying to see that the true author has been ignored a little…
Have you ever considered that you play a big part in others story?
I can’t believe i have never read this one yet… I think you should re blog this one :)
Oh and P.S.
I want to be the real me!
I can’t believe i have never read this one yet… I think you should re blog this one :)
Perhaps you should consider purchasing his book. Just a suggestion. :)
Pehaps you’re right… Maybe I should:) I think maybe CCC should have a book store with suggested books for their clients and he should sell that one too:). I am learning that reading about what you are going through is very important!!! … And I’m for real, I think it would be a good idea:) I also think he needs to write a book…. I have a feeling that is part of Dr. Hamiltons story:) (being an author) Just saying:)
I want what I can not have… and I have to accept that… because it’s not going to change. I have to stop thinking and trying to make things change. it’s never easy and i think i selfishly hold on to the idea of what it could be like it was the way I wanted… but it’s not.
sigh(silent scream)