Your Story, His Glory
“Hey Mom, what’s your story?”
Even though my oldest daughter is three, I know she’ll ask me this question someday. And honestly, the story is not pretty. I sometimes think of it as my “scarlet letter.” However, it does explain how I got where I am today.
There is one great part of it, though: God rescued me from my deepest and darkest valley. He reached down, picked me up, and carried me until I could stand; and then he continued to hold my hand and walk with me.
Without this scarlet letter in my life, I wouldn't be where I’m at today. I wouldn’t be leading, writing, speaking, parenting, or even being a wife.
What part of your story can you credit to Jesus’ love and mercy?
Maybe you’re in a part of your story where you’re wondering if you’re going to make it through. Maybe you’re repeating your past, wondering how you could be there, again.
Perhaps it’s time to ask: What if I invited Jesus into this story? What if I allowed the best Author to rewrite my story?
I am only able to tell mine because of how God redeemed it. He is the author of grace and forgiveness. He’s the author of love and mercy, and of second, third, and forth chances.
The Scriptures are full of stories of God forgiving and redeeming. David had an affair and then sent his mistress’s husband to the front battle line to die … yet he is known as a man “after God’s own heart.” The Apostle Paul, who wrote a majority of the New Testament, persecuted Christians. God used broken people then and God still uses broken now—messed up, ugly story people. This is because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).
When you decide to follow God, it doesn’t mean your past didn’t happen. It simply means that you’re allowing God to redeem it. You can tell the hard part, and then say, “but God.”
Your story is meant for God’s glory. It’s meant to lift up the God who lifts up. It helps the people who are in the valley find a way out. Maybe your story is what someone needs to hear at this very moment. Don’t hide it in shame. Bring it out in the open for other people to hear how good God is.
Paul wrote, “I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14 ).
Press on, then. Fight the good fight of faith regardless of how difficult your story seems. You never know, your story could end up being why you have treasures waiting in heaven.