Telling Your Story

I really have no idea where to begin.

When I shared my last post, I had no real expectations of who would read it. It was long and very personal and well, just not my typical post. Throughout that first night I watched the number of times it had been viewed skyrocket, growing by the hundreds every time I seemed to check. Now I'll just let you in on a little secret of mine, people read my blog, but not THAT many people. I saw people begin to share my story with others. I began receiving friend requests and messages from people I've never met who wanted to encourage me in our journey as well as thank me for telling the story. I had NO idea the degree to which people would respond to our story and I am overwhelmed that God has used it to this degree.

Recently our pastor gave us homework. He asked us to write down our spiritual journey, based off of specific questions they gave, so that we could always remember our stories. It was also meant to prepare us to tell our story to others when God gave us the opportunity. Now they focused more on who we were before salvation and after, but I knew that this was God's confirmation to me that stories are meant to be told, particularly the story of our soon-to-come baby girl.

When I was a teenager, I had someone tell me once that while there might be times in my life that I want to "erase the tape," that God doesn't want to do that, He wants to use it. I knew from the moment they told us our baby might not survive that this was going to be one of those times.

It would have been easier and less painful to forget the past the second we knew that God had given us our miracle, to not have to relive the nights where I wondered for her life and mine, the tears that were shed and the death sentence spoken over our child. But that's not what God wanted.

There was a scripture that I just couldn't shake during this challenging time...

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony..." - Revelation 12:11

This scripture ran through my head constantly, then one day I was trying to tell a friend where it was found and upon looking it up I found the rest of the verse (and it gave me chills),

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death."

Every trial we face isn't always life or death, but for me, that was the reality as it is with many others out there. A lot of people out there are facing death and fighting it more imminently than I could even imagine. But for me the choice of life and death were very real and they were being placed in my hands. I was being told that I would have to choose to end her life to save my own.

But the point of this post is not about my story, but yours and the scripture states that we overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. A part of our life as Christians and one of the ways we can continue to find victory is by telling our stories.

One of the biggest things I learned over the past couple of weeks is that I'm not responsible for what people do with what I tell them. I am only responsible to be obedient to do what God asks me to do when He asks me to do it.

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."

-I Corinthians 3:6

We each have our own part to play, whether planting or watering, but only God can take the fruits of our labor and use them to change lives- that is not and will never be our responsibility- we cannot change people. Our job is to be obedient to share what He places on our heart, sometimes it comes naturally and other times it is painful or uncomfortable, and that's normal. But we all have a story to tell. Sometimes a story is deep and dark and painful and sometimes a story is full of God's grace and covering. My pastor always said when I was young that people often told him they didn't have a "testimony" or a story because they really hadn't been through anything, and he would remind them that that can be the best testimony of all. That is a story of God's protection and love. But regardless- We ALL have stories to tell.

We come in contact with people everyday who need to hear our stories. Some of you love to write, like I do, and can articulate feelings and emotions through words and perhaps that is what He is asking you to do. I would hazard to guess that most of time that is not what God is asking us to do. Instead He will stop us in the middle of our hectic day and ask us to pay attention to those we come in contact with on a daily basis. He will tell us to share our heart, our story with those we least expect. It's just a matter of slowing down long enough to hear His voice and obey. He has given us our stories for a reason. They are a part of who we are, a part of who He is making us to be.

You have seen God's provision. You have walked through pain. You have been healed of sickness. Your lost loved ones have come to a personal relationship with Christ. You have been fired from a job you loved. You have seen people walk out of your life that you never fathomed would leave. You've held the hand of a family member as they walk into the eternal presence of God. You've lost a child. You've overcome addiction. You have a story.

And while we are so much more than any specific story in our life, every single story has its place in forming who we are. Don't dismiss the importance of your stories. God's intention is to use them to help bring others closer to Him.

Share your stories. They matter.