There’s a story behind everything. How the van got that dent; how the supper was burned; how that bone was broken; how the accident happened. Stories join the past to the future. But stories are fragile; made up of nothing more than 26 letters and a few punctuation marks. Our stories tell of life and death, joy and pain, love and hate. Portions of our stories are secret, while other parts are quite public. There are chapters that we wish no one else could read, and other pages that are dog-eared from being told over and over again. From birth to our final breath, we are all stories.
Over the years, I have been impressed by other people’s stories, but never really felt like I had anything special to share about my life. I didn’t think I had a testimony to give or at least not one that anybody would want to listen to. That’s when one of our overseas missionaries was home for a visit and they were going to be speaking during our worship service. For safety reasons, they asked that I would not list their names in the worship order as giving a Missionary Update, but rather as a Testimony. They explained that a testimony wasn’t just telling about their conversion experience, but testifying to the good work that God was doing in their life and around the world. Suddenly I realized that I also have a testimony. I can’t name the date or event that led me to accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior, but I can testify that once I was dead and now I’m alive, and my God who began a good work in my life continues to do so.
In Mark 5, we read about a man known as Legion who had quite the story to tell. The man had been possessed by multiple demons and made his home in the graveyard. However, one encounter with Jesus and he was set free of the evil spirits and begged permission to go with Jesus and his disciples. But Jesus makes an interesting statement in verse 19. “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Isn’t it odd that Jesus would send this guy home? After all, isn’t that the hardest place for us to be real and share the intimate parts of our stories? Even Jesus was rejected in his hometown and by his own family. But more importantly, Jesus instructs this man, just like I believe he instructs all of us, to share his story and testify to what the Lord has done for him.
Last week at the Beautiful Life Women’s Conference one of the worship songs that we sang was “My Story” by Big Daddy Weave. Some of the lyrics go like this: “If I told you my story, you would hear hope that wouldn’t let go. If I told you my story, you would hear love that never gave up. If I told you my story, you would hear victory over the enemy. And if I told you my story, you would hear freedom that was won for me. If I should speak, then let it be of the grace that is greater than all my sin, of when justice was served and when mercy wins, of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in, oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him.”
I pray this is true of all of our stories! Whether our stories are shared in private or in front of 400 people, on Easter Sunday or on Monday night, whether they make us laugh or cry, to tell our story is to tell of Jesus Christ. My story isn’t going to make the front page of the newspaper, but what a joy it is to celebrate God’s faithfulness in the good and bad.
1 Peter 3:15 encourages us “If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” May we not only be ready to share our story, but may we be eager to listen to one another’s story.
“This is my story, this is my song; praising my Savior all the day long.”
Erin Jacobsma