Who's YOUR Story For?

IWho is your story for?

I love a good story. As a kid I was a voracious reader, devouring books as though they were Hostess Swiss cake rolls (by far my favorite “banned” treat as a child). My favorite part of meeting new people is getting to know their life story, and then, as I get to know them better, learning how that story has shaped and formed them. In my younger days I used to wish for a different story, one with more adventure, grit and danger. I have a pretty picture perfect life story. I’ve been incredibly blessed with two loving parents, family and friends that make life good, and virtually no major disaster or drama. I was a goody two shoes who played by the rules, which was easy because I was never really tempted in the first place. The closest I ever came to drugs was when the smelly kid pulled out a bag of weed on the bus home in 9^th grade. I immediately joined every possible after school activity to insure I would never have to take the bus again. Dork.

Anyway, the white picket fence suburb I grew up in gave me a story that is tame, and safe and would never inspire a made for t.v. movie. I always found myself daydreaming big dramatic moments. Even my conversion to Christ took about three years longer than it needed to because I kept waiting for that “moment.” Something akin to God speaking to me while being held hostage in a bank robbery. Telling me that he would spare my life if I promised to finally give it to Him. A moment that ended with me sharing Christ with the bank robbers who then gave their lives to Him and let all the hostages go. You know, no big deal….dork.

I think that’s why I love Paul’s story. Oh the drama and excitement! My overactive imagination could not have written it better myself. You have this hardcore Jesus hater, on his way to relentlessly hunt down the people of “the Way,” struck blind as he hears the voice of Jesus. By the time God restores his sight he is not the same. Saul became Paul. He is now in the temples, preaching that Jesus is the son of God. He has become like those he once hunted.

I love in Acts 22 when Paul speaks to the Jews who are trying to arrest him. He clearly shares his story with them, boldly telling of what Christ did to him, for him and through him. Paul was the perfect person to share this testimony to this group of people because of who he was before Christ changed his life. He was once like them. As Saul, he would have been in that crowd, calling for the death of the one who proclaims Jesus as the Messiah. If anyone’s story had a hope of softening the hardened hearts of this crowd it was Paul’s. The scene makes me imagine a modern day picture of Bill Maher attending some atheist convention as a changed man, sharing with the crowd his and God’s story, impacting them as only he could.

It also makes me wonder whom my story is for. Tame as it may be, it is the story God and I share and it has potential to impact someone. Who is your story for? Does your story contain parts you are ashamed of? Segments you wish you could edit out? I’m sure Paul cringed when he thought of the damage he caused while he watched Stephen being stoned to death. I’m sure he would have liked to gloss over why he was on the road to Damascus in the first place. But who Paul was is what makes his story so compelling. What Christ redeemed and saved in you is what will give hope to others. And if you’re like me, wondering if you would have a greater impact if your story had a bigger rock bottom moment, or some crazy loud message of hope and redemption…well, there are so many people who’s lives haven’t been so rocked to the core that they have no place to turn but God. Maybe those people need to hear how God works in the mundane moments of life and woos ordinary people in ordinary ways. Maybe those people need help becoming aware of the voice of God in the tamer moments of life. You are unique. God has worked uniquely in your life. Who can be impacted by your unique story?