Story: What’s next? Your Choice!

An opportunity to choose a direction to affect desired outcomes.

Ahhh … the meal of tacos’ is done … that moment of pause has passed … the first course over … all cleared from the table … now, the choice. That’s enough? What to do now? Maybe dessert? “Ice cream would go well with tacos. Have we got any?” “Something more to drink?” What to do? … Let’s put on a movie?”

So how is this a part of the storytelling … story listening process???? Surely the metaphor breaks down at this point!!

Nup. Let’s push it a little further …

Story listening [The Choice! What’s next?]: As a story listener, you have heard, nodded, and maintained appropriate eye contact, asked clarifying questions, entered into their story through empathy or some thinking to the extent you are able, and you have paused a moment to check yourself … now what? Here are some choices:

• Pray for wisdom in this choice … ask for Holy Spirit’s help give you a sense in your spirit as to how to proceed.
• Remain silent, nod, lower your eyes, or place a box of tissues within reach.
• Ask further clarifying questions … check something or understand something a little better.
• Ask for the next story … listening to the next chapter honours the storyteller and, let’s admit it, you’re just a little curious as to what happens next.
• Tell your story in response … because honouring and identifying with the storyteller may be achieved best with a story of your own, maybe even one that’s flavoured with your experience of God.
• Tell a God/life/true story … “Your story reminds me of a story in the Bible. May I share it with you?” … “Someone I know (or have heard about) has a similar story, want to hear it?”
• Ask how you can help
• Ask how you can pray
• chat on with a story just because it’s your turn … let’s not over-complicate this storytelling … story listening stuff.
  Others ??

After hearing or reading someone’s shared highlight, what did you want to do/say/ask? Comment? Clarify something? Share a story? Say, “May I pray for you? How can I pray for you?” Share your own highlight as a response? Say, “Wow! Yes, I know, the same thing happened to me!”

Storytelling [The Choice! What’s next?]: As a storyteller, you have shared your story, and you have paused a moment … now what? The same list of choices above applies to the storyteller at this moment. Adapt them as responses to the story listener.

After sharing your highlight, what did you want to do/say/ask next? Thank them for listening? Ask if you needed to clarify something for them? Ask if they had questions about that (maybe you could see they looked a little puzzled). Ask them for their highlight? Ask, “What’s been happening for you?” Ask what they may be thinking or feeling. Maybe say, “I could see your story was affecting you some way.” Maybe say, “May I pray for you? How can I pray for you?” Go with the flow and allow them to interrupt to share a story of their own. Maybe you will need to be a bit assertive and ask to finish your story without the interruptions.

After sharing or writing your highlight, what did you think/feel? What did you want to do/say/ask after sharing your story? Add something? Clarify something? Share a second highlight? Ask for the listener’s highlight story?

Your comments

Because this is a learning community space, the task now is to critique the ideas &/or stories presented here.

• Use the comment space below to share your ideas, responses, questions, alternative points of view, or suggested improvements and reasoning.
• Share how you would use any of this appropriately in your context, with your skills, and in your style!
• Add below any of your own related experiences or similar examples of stories or ideas you have seen, heard, or tried.