Tell Me A Story by Dr. Ray Reynolds
One of my favorite writers is Mitch Albom. In his book, For One More Day, He said, "There's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin." I don't know why that line strikes me so hard, but it does. Our life is a story.
You are a story. A marvelous, amazing story. One chapter after another. I have a story. You have a story. It's TRUE. In fact, our story is part of a greater story because it's the continuation of another. The Garden. The flood. The captivity. The virgin birth. Salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The church. And on it goes. We are a part of the next few chapters of God’s eternal story.
Life is lived throughout this story. Your choices make up the plot. Your neighbors and family are the main characters. If you’ve tried to convince yourself that your life has no meaning, trust me, you’re wrong.
What is in your story? We have parts of our story that are difficult. Other parts lead us to smile. Because we are wired to avoid pain, we might lock away portions of our life. Because we enjoy cheerful thoughts, we might highlight some stories repeatedly. No matter what... it is already in our story. Through my pain I’ve seen God at work.
Yes! He can work through divorce. He can work through death. He can work through conflict. He can work through cancer. He does his best work with the broken hearted, prodigals of the world. It’s his specialty. No one is too far gone.
The truth is that the previous chapters have already been penned. You can’t change it. This present moment is being written away this very minute. However, there is still something to be done about the ending of your story. How does it end? Let God hold the pen. Only He can write a happy ending. Let Him take your mess and create a message to inspire the world.
So, you don't think your story matters? Tell that to Jesus. You should know that YOUR story really matters. Is why He came. It’s why He died. And it’s why He’s coming back for you. In the meantime, don’t let your part of the story become bland, miserable and boring. Be bold. Be courageous. Be a witness. Shine your light. Share your story. I can guarantee you there’s someone who needs to hear it.
You are loved.
Dr. Ray Reynolds