What is a "story rope"?
A Story Rope, an art form, can be made to help tell one's story in a colorful, tactile way within a small group of people. Initially, instead of writing words or speaking words to tell our stories, a fabric-filled rope is created to represent our lives. Slim fabric strips of various colors are tied along a long, narrow strip of fabric about one meter long. As the participants tie each strip of fabric, on the one long piece, they are remembering different parts of their life stories. Some parts of our stories are dark, so dark fabric is used to represent that period of time. Some parts are joyful, grace-filled, so brighter fabrics are tied along the "rope" to represent those parts.
Making a story rope is easy for anyone to make. No artistic skills are necessary in sharing one's story this way. It is an art form all can feel they have completed successfully. Many enjoy fabric, so it is a comfortable medium to use. It is user friendly.
What can story ropes help to accomplish?
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| Praying through a pastor's wife's story in Cambodia |
Since we are created by a loving, heavenly Father, the master Artist, our stories, as His artwork, are full of meaning and purpose. He is present in every day of our stories. Sometimes, this truth can be clouded in our lives due to a variety of circumstances. Story Ropes can be a way of affirming each person's worth to his or her Creator and to those in his or her community.
As we tell our stories, using the story rope, it may help to bring healing in a certain area that has not been shared or even thought about in a very long time. By sharing, participants may begin to come to terms with some parts of their stories they hoped to deny or hide. It releases shame as others in the group speak truth, comfort, prayer and words of healing into their stories. As the story rope is completed, it could very well be the beginning point in our stories to seek greater comfort and healing.
Story Ropes in Hungary
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| Story Ropes in Cambodia |
