Our stories, in all their beauty and heartache, shape and influence every dimension of our daily life and relationships. Knowing the impact of our story and finding God’s redemptive work within it is vital for emotional, relational, and spiritual formation and health. Our culture often encourages us to focus only on the positive experiences and put the painful ones behind us. Far too often, when the true impact of our stories of wounding and heartache go unaddressed, we find ourselves bound to unhealthy and unfulfilling patterns without hope for change.

Giving ourselves permission to explore how the goodness and pain in our lives have shaped us opens the door to transformation and a deeper capacity for joy, intimacy, and fulfillment. To Be Told is far more than the popularized movement to “know your story.” It is an invitation to truth-telling, healing lament, deep soulfulness, and lasting change.

Dr. Dan Allender has been a story sojourner for more than 30 years. He brings his own vulnerability and kind spirit to his teaching as he challenges individuals, couples, and communities to do the important, holy work of entering their stories with grace, courage, and hope.