What makes us cheer for one snow-suit bundled ski-masked skier over another besides the flag stitched onto their shoulder? What makes us care about a sixteen-year-old girl from the Ukraine or a married couple from China in matching tights? What could possibly bring us to tears when another countries’ national anthem plays as a stranger weeps on the highest podium? It’s the power of story.
One dynamic element of every Olympics is the stories told of the competitors, coaches and families who have sacrificed, trained and overcome challenges to arrive in that moment for that race or that ice dance or that game. A compelling story touches our hearts and can even inspire us to cheer on a rival, weep for a stranger or move forward to overcome an obstacle in our own lives.
Jesus knew the power of story.
He told stories to the crowds who gathered to hear him. His stories mesmerized and instructed the masses. Likewise they irritated and baffled the religious leaders of the day. In Mark 12 (where I last left off in Mark), Jesus tells a story so powerful – so in your face – that the religious leaders conspired to arrest him. The only thing that stopped them was their fear of the crowds. (not much has changed!)
Through a simple parable, Jesus exposed their thoughts and laid their souls and motives bare so there was no disputing that He saw clearly their hostility toward Him. He used a simple story to announce His Father’s intention to open the way of salvation, not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. With a few plain sentences, Jesus summarized the history of the rejection of the prophets who had come before Him, God’s reason for sending His only Son, His coming death and the future of the church which would include people from every tongue, tribe and nation.
You have a story.
We’re not all called to preach or to teach. Many of us are baffled by complex theology, Biblical hermeneutics and deciphering the original Hebrew or Greek of Scripture. So, sometimes we stay quiet for fear that we have nothing to offer.
But if we have the spirit of Jesus living within us, we also have the power of story in residence within our souls. When it comes to reaching the world, this is our call at its heart – simply to tell our story. You have a story and Jesus has a story – where your life intersects with His is your witness to the world.
People can debate your theology. People can throw stones at your denomination, your worldview and your beliefs. But you own the rights to your story.
So tell it.
What happened when the path of your life intersected with the God of the universe? There is power in that story. Tell it here in the comments section even if you’ve never told it before, even if you think you don’t tell it well, even if you’ve told it a thousand times. It’s your story and stories are meant to be told!
I’ll tell a piece of my story to start out – then, it’s your turn.
Get in on the conversation
Blog Archives
Colorful Connections first place Selah Award 2023!
Newest Release! Grab a Copy Now!
Certified Coach and Freelance Writer
Winner of BRMCWC Director’s Choice Award and AWSA’s Golden Scroll Award
The Art of Hard Conversations – Finalist! Winner of Golden Scroll 2019
Winner of BRMCWC Director’s Choice Award and Finalist for Serious Writers Award Book of the Decade
Finalist for Selah Award for Christmas Novella
Top 100 Christian Blogs 2015
The Conversation
I didn’t find Jesus, He found me. As a very little girl, I watched a Billy Graham rally on television and responded to the altar call – I even went forward in front of the TV! I started reading the Bible as soon as I could read and begged the deacons at my Baptist church to allow me to be baptized younger than the usual age of 12. They finally relented when I was 11.
I have seen miracles in my life. I suffered with lupus for fifteen years but was healed during a time of prayer and have had no symptoms for 17 years. I’ve seen relationships healed. I’ve had adventures. I have loved deeply and been healed of wounds earned during the adventures and the loving. Jesus has made every moment of my life (and there were some awful ones)richer, deeper and more worthwhile.
Now you. What’s your story?
I was raised Catholic and always knew that God was with me, even if on some far away, distant level. When I was sixteen I felt the literal hand of God move on me during a Pentecostal youth service. At 19 I was in the throes of bad choices and dirty secrets. I claimed that I was a Christian but everything about me was sinful. Even during those times, I continued to see God working in my life through ordinary people. It was during these painful periods that I saw the love of Christ manifest the most when I least deserved it. Finally at age 21 I surrendered my will and gave my life to the care of Jesus on a stranger’s living room floor.
Since that time I have faced many obstacles and have been made stronger because of them. I have learned the true meaning of forgiveness and how to do it myself. I have learned how to cling to him in horrendous physical and emotional pain. More than any of these, I have been continually learning how to see people the way He does and love them with His eyes.
Even though I am just a tiny speck on His radar with not much to offer to anyone, my greatest blessing has been in learning how to know and believe that He thinks I’m worthy, even when the rest of the world would disagree. It is in this knowing that I am able to share that gift with others.
That’s awesome,Sherry. I know God’s going to use your story in someone’s life. Powerful stuff!
Powerful post and testimony, Lori. My wife has had an autoimmune disease for many years now; if you would share your tale of healing in more detail, that would be an encouragement to many. I would even feature it on my new prayer blog: http://www.jesusanswered.com.
I recently shared my testimony, in a multi-part series, on my blog.
Thanks, Greg. I’ll check those out.
I don’t know when I first believed Jesus was my Savior. I must have been pretty young – I know that even at age 13 I couldn’t answer that question. But I believed. And as a result God has continually, patiently, lovingly and compassionately grown me all along. Sometimes that’s meant walking with me through immense pain, sometimes that’s meant showing me how to have deep joy. Sometimes He’s performed miracles, sometimes He’s been quiet as a church mouse. But always He’s with me. Inviting me to be still and know that He is. And inviting me to know that the great ‘I am’ is all I need. Ever. And for-ever!
Beautifully shared, Jennifer, and beautifully lived. God bless!
Like Sherry above, I was raised Catholic. I always believed in God, but I had no idea of the significance in having a relationship with Him and His Son. For years, I drifted in and out of church, usually ending up there when my life was falling apart. Finally I met and married my husband, and we were both saved after reading a Four Spiritual Laws tract, given to us at a Bible study (long story). We thought we were in control of our lives, but obviously someone was praying and God was wooing. He patiently continued to draw us to Himself, even after we got saved. It’s now been 25 years that we’ve walked with Him. He is amazing.
That’s just a thumbnail of my story. I am in the process of writing our memoirs.
God bless you,
Cheri
I’ll be first in line to buy your book, Cheri! So glad God pursued you! The story continues . . .
Thanks, Lori!
Stay tuned for more details! *wink*
Hugs,
Cheri