“We each have a story.” Melody-my gift from God in friendship.

We don’t all have the same story. Though some stories may seem very similar; each story is uniquely our own to tell. And yet, somehow, the Author has taken each of our stories and placed them in His Book of Life to create a masterpiece fit for the King. Just as the Bible has many stories that teach of God’s character and mankind’s struggles and victories in faith, so is this Author’s Book of Life that holds all our stories, bound by the Blood of our Savior, Jesus.

The Christian’s story always points to Salvation through Christ Jesus. The non-believer’s does as well, though she might not ever see heaven as the conclusion. You see, the Author leaves the conclusion up to the character. Sure, He’s writing the story; but to make the story more interesting, He allows the character freewill to choose the various settings, plots, climaxes and conclusions. He even gives room for the character to bring in and eliminate other characters. The Christian chooses heaven as the final setting, whereas the non-believer chooses hell. Either way, it’s still all part of one big book.

Imagine—not all of us has had an abortion or miscarriage; lost a child or been barren; gone through an adoption process; had a rebellious child (or two or three). We have not all sent a kid off to college or the military. We’ve not all suffered a drug or alcohol addiction; been promiscuous, committed adultery, or had same sex tendencies. Not everyone has been dealt the blow of cancer or another life threatening illness. We don’t all suffer from depression, anger issues, doubt, fear, unworthiness, or shame. It’s pretty safe to say that not all of us have a college degree, a great job, or “mission”. We didn’t all grow up in godly homes or church environments. We can’t all sing, dance, paint, write or play musical instruments. We’re not all athletes. Obviously, I could go on and on.

But God…..

God sees past our pasts and brings us to right here where we are in the present. Here, in the present, we find strength to overcome our pasts and to face our futures.

That’s what makes “small groups” so wonderful. They are divine appointments arranged by our loving Father as a gift to encourage one another. He hand picks the members to perfectly fit them together to bring about His goodness in our lives.

In a small group, we can easily see the light in one another. We can even see when the light starts to dim. We offer prayer and comfort as we spur each other on. We develop relationships and become characters in each other’s stories. Our stories become woven together and intertwined in such a way that fits so perfectly in the Author’s hands. Sometimes combining our stories starts out in rough draft and requires lots of editing to create such a fit, but they are still perfect in His hands.

Its my desire that my story, filled with many twists and turns, leads others to my loving Father and my Savior. It’s not always an easy read. There are many parts in my story that are very painful, embarrassing, shameful, and just plain ugly. But Grace is intermingled throughout and ultimately it is by Grace that my story has an awesome conclusion. My story, though far from over, is long, so I share it in chapters called “testimonies”. The Author made sure I had one for every occasion!

In Luke 12:35-48, Jesus shares a parable, or story, regarding “watchfulness”. He warns us to be ready to serve and let our lights always continue to shine. We should always be prepared because we know not when our Master will return. Jesus warms us to be wise and faithful. He clearly wants us to be ready for his arrival at all times. Not just in church or small group, but everywhere. We should also understand that Jesus lives in the hearts of Christians. Therefore, we really need to watch how we treat others. He’s watching us and so are others!

“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.” vs 47 (NIV)

My story is filled with many blows in the forms of “I should’ve known better” or “I knew better than that, but” or “If I had only” and much more. It is by Grace that my Master has chosen me at all.

“…From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” vs 48b (NIV)

God has graciously given me His Spirit. You really can’t give “much” more than that. He entrusted me with a powerful gift. All He really asks is that I share His Story with love, compassion, and gentleness.

My story is, God willing, far from over. I pray that I’m watchful right up to the last word.

Now, get ready!