Finding The Story, Part I
We need a life that is big enough to dream in. Only a life that big has room for adventure and storytelling.
And we must have storytelling.
Story is the language of the heart, as John Eldredge has said, which means that stories and storytelling are non-negotiable. We seek stories; we tell stories; we return to familiar stories again and again because they touch our hearts in a way that nothing else does.
Some stories are epic, and some are not.
i spent many years trapped in the small story of pornography. Most certainly it was not an epic story, unless you use “epic” in reference to the waste of time, money, talent, opportunity, and relationship that it was.
Stories, be they epic or not, are the way we connect with others, but only an epic story is big enough to dream in. There is no end to the unfolding of it. There is no limit to what can be dreamed in it. There is no quota on the manner and degree of the adventure we may pursue.
A life filled with purpose, meaning and vitality. A life of risk where there is something worth fighting for; something worth spending myself for. A life participating in the the goodness of bringing the kingdom of God. A life of joy, beauty, deep meaning and consequence.
That’s the life i want. i am convinced it’s the life all men want.
But because we’re not sure where to find that life, we fall prey to pornography. It’s so accessible, and the big life is so elusive.
That’s why i am so grateful for brothers who keep me mindful of the epic story all around me, including the team at Ransomed Heart.
That team has filmed its first major film titled “A Story Worth Living.”
This film is the tale of a group of men who venture into the unknown asking questions of themselves and of their lives.
They are on a quest to find a story worth living.
New York Times best-selling author John Eldredge, his three sons, author and psychiatrist Dan Allender, and some friends took off-road BMW motorcycles into the back country of Colorado.
Initially, the project was conceived as an adventure which the crew would film with the purpose of creating a series of short films, similar to what Ransomed Heart did when it released the book Killing Lions.
But, as the story goes, when the team got a look at the footage from the trip, they decided to make a feature-length film instead.
The adventure was ambitious. They had never ridden before, let alone on the challenging terrain they explored in the film.
Something about that combination of circumstances unlocked things in their hearts, and they had cameras on hand to catch the beauty and the affliction they experienced.
Risk is all part of the adventure, but having it filmed and shown on the big screen is a different level of vulnerability.
But then again, if the story is epic, we will — by definition— be vulnerable.
The team at Ransomed Heart isn’t afraid of vulnerability; rather, they seem to ride straight into it deliberately. As they take the plunge and plumb the deep regions of their hearts, they give us a taste of the very large story calling to us.
It’s the larger story that comes a bit more into focus through the majesty of the outdoors; through an adventure shared with good friends; and through the exposure of our souls that inevitably results from venturing into the frontier.
For more on the film, visit astoryfilm.com. The film will be in theaters for one night only, on May 19.
Intentional Warriors 
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