Story

People intrigue me. No, they fascinate me. I think that’s part of the reason why I studied psychology in college. I also think that’s one of the reasons I love what I do as a pastor. I get to spend time with people and get to know them and their stories.

Back when I first became a Christian we used to talk about the need for people to “share their testimony.” It was always a weird time for me. I grew up in a church going family. There really wasn’t a time that I didn’t believe in God. I began to take my faith more seriously after my confirmation. The things is, I never had a very exciting “testimony”.

Somewhere along the line though we began to talk about “sharing your story” as opposed to the “testimony”. I remember sitting in my friend Bob’s office and him saying that our stories were exactly what God wanted for us and that he would redeem our stories for his glory.

This stuck with me.

God wanted to redeem my story.

My story is like so many other kids who grew up in the 80s with divorced parents. What was amazing though, was as I started to share stories of my life with people, I found that so many people could relate to my story. It was like, “Oh man I didn’t think someone like you would know about that…”

God was redeeming my story.

Each of our stories have great value. They are what they are because God, for whatever reason, has allowed those stories to be written in our lives. They are not to be run from or to feel shame or regret over. They are to be shared so that God can redeem them and use them for greater things.

Through my cousin Nicole, I have become engaged with an organization called Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence. Survivors of domestic violence have experienced great pain and heartbreak. They have dealt with things that most of us can never possibly imagine. BTS is encouraging these women to tell their stories. As they do, God is redeeming those stories and helping others to break free and potentially save lives.

Story is a powerful thing. Stories can be used for good or evil. When God grabs hold of our stories, he redeems them.

I would love to hear your story. Share it in the comments below…

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