Why Your Story Matters

Divine serendipitiesFaith and Hope and Cou...

Jul 16

Written By

On Monday I had the remarkable privilege of sharing a bit of my personal story on national Canadian TV. Live. No take-backs. No editing. Did I mention it was national?Despite having been invited to share, there was still this small, doubting, mocking voice inside me asking, "why would anyone care? What's so special about your story?"Truly, there's no reason that anyone should care, and my story is not any more special than yours. However, it is the story that God has written on the pages of this book of my life, and that alone makes it amazing. A miracle story. A redemption story. A beautiful thing, despite the lows and hard times. In it, I want to say "Look what He has done, despite me! It’s crazy and it’s full-on grace."It's often stunning when we hear where others have come from. Stories that they own, and simply call normal. People we name as friends become miracles when we are given the privilege of seeing what their journey has included. In recent years, I've been amazed by friends simply sharing where they’ve come from and where they're truly at. Perhaps they wouldn’t think that they were terribly remarkable, or even worth sharing.But these stories of childhood abuse, horrifying accidents, bad marriages, bad choices, adventure, falling in love, finding home, discovering new opportunities – they remind me that we all are created in the image of God. From the most heart-breaking to the deeply heart-warming, our stories remind the world that we are remarkable image-bearers. Living, breathing, Masterpieces on this life-journey.I remember watching my Mama as she embroidered a verse by Corrie Ten Boom:

My life is but a weaving between my God and me,I do not choose the colors, He works so steadily,Oft times He weaves in sorrow, and I in foolish pride,Forget He sees the upper, and I the underside.

The irony of this was that my perspective and line of sight was the cut, frayed ends and uneven spacing and knots of the underside of the piece as I watched her. Our lives so often look very much like that, don't they?No matter how messy or how mundane, your story matters, because you matter, friend. It may not be broadcast on national TV, and you might be quite glad for that. But know this: You matter to God, and if you are still breathing, your story is still being written and your life has purpose in the world today.