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Telling Our Stories


              Every life is a chapter in God’s ongoing story.  He never tires of reading the stories we write each day we live.  I’ve got to believe that so many of our stories must bring tears to His eyes as he thinks about the cruel things we say and do to one another.  Yet He records our lifetime experience, each life a book that has the potential to become a bestseller in God’s eyes. 
              Revelation 12:11 says: They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.  It’s important that we recognize the power in telling our stories.  Once you tell what you saw God do in your life to someone else, you have received it deeper into your truest reality.  We do overcome by the power of telling our story.  Telling our experience in walking with God to another person solidifies what you believe about your experience.
              Many avoid telling their stories because of the way they have seen others rejected for speaking about God’s movement in their lives.  I am only responsible for the stories I tell about how I see God in my life.  I do feel uncomfortable when listening to some who speak boldly about God and what He has told them to think, feel or do about thee; yet their bold statements sound contrary to the God of the Bible.  There should be a healthy doubt and humility of your experience of God most especially when it is about ideas of grandeur for yourself and vengeance on people you do not like.  That is not likely to be a story about God.
              I love to hear people tell their stories.  I love to hear the unique and special ways that God moves into each one of our lives.  Our stories are as unique as our fingerprints.  Though God’s ways are the same—we come to Him through acknowledging our sin and helplessness and belief that Jesus alone can somehow (we don’t have to understand the intricacies of how) make all things right between God and ourselves.  That is our story.  Each day has a story of the battle between our flesh and our spirit.  You may not realize it but you have a story to tell at the end of each day about how you overcame the enemy of your soul or how you gave in to him. 
              It will do us well to pay attention to the story we are writing by the decisions we make each day.  Our story is being written whether we are aware of it or not.  How do we think about God this Monday?  How do our lives write out His glory in ordinary ways?  Whose story intertwines with yours in a surprising way today?  How have you received new meaning about God as you looked into the sky or pondered a blade of grass?  These stories are good reading for God.  He loves to watch your life and see your victories.  He plants little remedies for your distant soul throughout your day today.  When you find and drink them (hopefully teatimeforyoursoul.com is one of your antidotes today), you have another paragraph or chapter to the story of God’s love for you.
              Be aware of opportunities to tell your story.  Don’t impose on others; perhaps you should wait to be asked.  Maybe in the wait you can ask others about their stories.  This might prompt them to desire to hear your story. 
              Look at your life as one long, interesting story.  It will not be a page-turner for the average mind, but the mind of God longs to see your story intertwine with the meaning and purpose He offers.  He reads your story with strong interest and, though your story might hurt, anger, or sadden Him, He will keep on reading, keep on hoping, keep on praying that you will find the meaning of your life story and live it out with awareness that He is your co-author and that His ideas are best!

Copyright © 2016  Deborah R Newman teatimeforyoursoul.com  All Rights Reserved.

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