There is Strength in Your Story

Wednesday Poetry Club x The Scatter Joy Project

Hello!

My name is Tanner. I am an author, spoken word poet, and speaker. Every week I (try to) share a few hopeful poems, prayers, and reflections. If you enjoy the words I share, I’d love to have you support this ministry at the monthly, annual, or founding member level.

Today’s post is part of my weekly series, Wednesday Poetry Club.

If you want to know more about Wednesday Poetry Club, scroll to the bottom for all the details, but all you really need to know is that Wednesday Poetry Club is for poets, readers, and anyone who loves language. It lives entirely on Substack. Every Wednesday, poems are shared, inspiration is sparked, and a sense of community grows.

Before we get to the poem …

We are a people of stories and seasons. Some written in joy, others in sorrow, and most in the wilderness in between. These are the desert chapters, the exile nights, the places where we wonder if God has forgotten our name or us altogether. It’s tempting to believe that pain disqualifies us, that silence from heaven means the story has ended. But the truth is this: your story matters. Not because you are the center of it all, but because your life is caught up in a story far greater than your own—the story God has been writing since the beginning and will carry into eternity.

With my friends at The Scatter Joy Project, I wrote this poem to remind you that nothing is wasted. The heartbreaks, the disappointments, the prayers that seemed to vanish into the sky—these are not the final word. They become the seedbed for resurrection, the soil where compassion is born, the places where God meets us like manna in the wilderness.

Strength is found in showing up, in limping through today and into tomorrow, in holding hope, faith, and love.

So keep walking. Keep becoming. Keep sharing your story. The ink is not finished. Your story is still unfolding—line after line, grace upon grace, until the final page declares what is true because of grace: you are beloved, and you are not forgotten.

Much love,
Tanner

About The Scatter Joy Project

The Scatter Joy Project is more than just a nonprofit; we are a movement with a mission to transform mental health care, making it accessible and affordable for all. While mental health awareness is a critical first step, awareness alone doesn’t drive change. That’s why our work goes beyond raising awareness—we pull people from awareness to action through creative and intentional efforts.

Check out their website and grab a piece of merch.

there is strength in your story

by Tanner Olson

I used to think pain was a thief—
stealing the good years,
writing endings in ink
before I could even pick up the pen.

But now I see
pain was a teacher.
It showed me how deep my lungs can fill,
how to dance with a limp,
how to sing in the middle of the storm,
trusting that this, too, will pass.

And you—
You’ve gotten through more than you thought you’d get through.
You’ve walked roads you never asked to take.
Carried wounds still learning how to heal.
Endured uncertainty while facing the unknown.

Still—
here you are.

By grace, your story keeps unfolding.
Day after day.
Line after line.
The ink still spills and dries.

And it all matters.

None of this is for nothing.
What we survive becomes part of who we are.
It shapes us in ways comfort never could.

Heartbreak made space for compassion.
Loss carved a deeper well for love.
Disappointment revealed resilience.

The struggle taught us—
strength is not in the shouting,
it’s in the showing up,
Gently and honestly with hope.

Every scar, a line on the map that brought you here.
Every tear, watering seeds not yet seen.
Every prayer, heard and held.
Every “not yet” and “not now”
was shaping the hands you now hold out to others.

So keep walking.
You’re not forgotten—
you’re beloved.

And if you listen closely,
you might hear it:
the quiet anthem of your own becoming.

There is strength in your story.
Go on, spread hope and scatter joy.
Love and be loved.
It all matters.

Long live the Wednesday Poetry Club!

Much love,

Tanner

Website | 📚 Books | On Instagram | On Facebook | ⭐️ Online store

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What is Wednesday Poetry Club?

Wednesday Poetry Club is for poets, readers, and anyone who loves language. It lives entirely on Substack. Every Wednesday, poems are shared, inspiration is sparked, and a sense of community grows.

A few things to clarify about Wednesday Poetry Club:
Some have asked, what time on Wednesday does Poetry Club meet?
There is no time. You just share a poem on Wednesday.
There is no meeting. You just share a poem on Wednesday.

So, it’s really simple?
Yes, we don’t have to complicate everything. Just share a poem and tell people you’re part of a poetry club that shares poetry on Wednesdays.

The whole point of the Wednesday Poetry Club is to write and share poetry. On Wednesday’s we want to flood Substack with poems! So, if you care about poetry and want to be part of something creative and meaningful, you are part of the club.

How do people know I am part of the Wednesday Poetry Club?
We have some logos you can add to your posts or images to show you're part of the club. You can also include this line in your post:

“On Wednesdays, a group of writers share their poems as part of the Wednesday Poetry Club.”

You can also make it part of your Subtitle in your post.

Something like, “Wednesday Poetry Club.”

So it’s really simple?
Yes. Maybe too simple.

Does it cost money?
No. Who has money? It’s free to join and participate. We do have merch, but anyone can just be part of the Wednesday Poetry Club.

How do I join?
Write a poem. Share it on Wednesday. Post in here on Substack. Mention that you’re part of the Wednesday Poetry Club. Tag me if you’d like. Add the logo to your post. Tell people about the club. That’s all it takes. You’re in. You might be writing on your own, but you’re not doing it alone.

What if I miss a Wednesday?
That’s totally okay. This is about showing up when you can and letting poetry be a joy, not a burden. But if you write a poem, why not share it on Wednesday?

Why Wednesdays?
Remember in Mean Girls, when they said, “On Wednesdays, we wear pink”? Well, on Wednesdays we share poems. It’s just what we do. You can wear pink if you’d like.

Also, it’s the middle of the week a little poetry pick-me-up might be just what we need.

So — want in?

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Next Steps

1. Download the logos.

2. Share about the Wednesday Poetry Club on your Notes.

3. Grab some merch.

4. And as always … go write some poetry.