What's Your Story?

When I was an incoming freshman at Messiah College in '08 (whoa that's a long time ago), the theme was: "What's Your Story?"  The idea was that we all come from different backgrounds and diverse experiences and thus have a unique story to tell.  A unique story that cannot be duplicated.  Sure, people can relate to it, but no two people have the same exact story...not even siblings...not even twins. Everyone has a unique perspective on the same events.  Which is why witnesses in a crime are in one case veryy helpful, but they can also really complicate a case if their stories don't match up.

With that being said, the most powerful thing...the most life changing thing...the most unique thing about you is your story.  If I wanted to use religious terminology we would call it your testimony.  Your testimony is your life story.  It's all the mistakes you've made.  All the great blessings that God has blessed you with.  It's YOU. It's what makes you, you.

For that reason, it is the most powerful thing about you.  The bible reminds us that the tongue is the most powerful thing (Proverbs 18:21).  What comes out of your mouth can affect people both negatively and positively.  This is why...this is why we need your story.  Everything you go through, happens for a reason.  Ok, you was a womanizer.  And yes, that's not the most positive association in the world.  But, only by the Grace of God you have been redeemed.  You need to tell people that!  You have no idea who's in the audience.  Who's surrounding you.  Who needed to hear about God's love and how He loved you despite your tendencies.  But most importantly, how he redeemed you or is working on you.

Maybe in your audience you have someone that was victimized by a womanizer and need to here your repentance.  Needs to hear your repentance so she can feel the love again.  Maybe in your audience is a womanizer that's trying to change...trying extremely hard to change, but you say how you changed or is changing and you give him hope.  You give him the push to make his life better.  To treat woman with respect.

I don't know about you, but people who are open and honest about their fallacies to me gain a heck of alot more respect from me than people that try to hide it.  We like to think that our past will get us judged.  And maybe it will, maybe it deserves to be judged.  But I like to think that when we are open and honest to each other, that's where the life changing happens.  Wall building stops you from getting hurt, but it also stops the healing process.  It's not until we confess and repent, that we are about to heal from the wounds of our past.

Everyone has a story...everyone has a testimony.  And more importantly everyone's testimony matters.  Whether you was abused as a child by a drunken father or you used to be a thief or you are an alcoholic that was saved or anyyything, you life matters.  Your life can change other people's lives if you let it.  But let alone that, have you ever confessed something to someone and instantly felt the weight of the world come off your shoulders?  All you are doing there is telling your story.  Don't feel ashamed of who you was.  If you are in Christ, you are a NEW creation.  Tell the world about your new creation!
What's your story? Cuz I would love to hear it!

*By the way, that example of being a womanizer is a part of my testimony*

Let Em Uze Ya!