Shame stories. We all have them. Some are deep and trauma-based. Some come from a neighbor years ago. Some come from your own dad or family member. And these shame-stories? They’re the ones that starve us. Just one of my shame stories starving my soul is: I’m too disorganized to be successful. For years, this narrative kept me hungry to find identity, to prove, to push, to promote, to produce, and to perfect myself. And that’s an exhausting and unsustainable way to live. Our shame stories starve our souls. But we also know there are many solutions to releasing those stories—to giving ourselves a new and true story. There’s therapy and community and disclosure to a safe person who will love you no matter what and medicine. And there’s also true stories about God and how he feels about us. To help us write a new grace-based story. So there’s this story Jesus told us about being loved—no matter what scars we’ve caused or carry. It’s about being wanted—no matter how far we’ve wandered. It’s about being loved—no matter what. This week is all about replacing our shame stories with a beloved story.