Everyone has a Story
by Debbie Poer
Everyone has a story – everyone except me (or so I thought). I met a man who shared the good news by recounting how he came to know Jesus when he was stranded alone in the Arctic with nothing to read but a Bible. I met a woman sharing Jesus with others by telling how she met Him through her dreams. And there were others. In a country where Christianity is illegal a Bible was left on a bus seat, where two sisters found it, resulting in their becoming Christians. Closer to home, a young woman who has struggled for years with her faith met Jesus when she attended a Great Banquet.
When reading Scripture, the stories we most often remember are the dramatic ones. We find people who have amazing stories about their encounters with God and with Jesus. There is Moses, who met God in a burning bush; Paul, who when he met Jesus was struck blind; and a woman who was dramatically changed when she touched the cloak of Jesus.
And then there was me: no burning bushes, no blindness, and no transformation through cloak touching. Nothing – or so I thought.
But then I took time to look deeper into Scripture and I found a nation of people whose story was about following God through a desert. I found a woman whose story included opening “her heart to respond to God’s message” (Acts 16:14) and then opening her home to other believers (Acts 16:40). In Acts 16:1 I found Timothy, who it seems grew up in a Christian household. Theirs are not dramatic stories, but stories just the same.
Our stories are important because they are a witness to our faith and to our walk with Jesus. And yes, they can lead others to become followers of Jesus for the first time or can encourage those already following Jesus to be stronger in their faith and their witness of Him.
As I continued to dig deeper into Scripture, looking for examples of others whose faith walks are closer to my experiences, I found my story. It is not big and dramatic, but still it is God led and God filled. I have learned a few things along the way.
I learned I don’t have to be the most eloquent speaker. Jesus’ disciples were not well-educated, but they shared a powerful message. My story is to be told in my voice with words and phrases that I commonly use.
My story is filled with my life experiences. Throughout the New Testament we learn more and more about Jesus through Paul’s life experiences. Mine is a path that God has directed me on for many years now. Sometimes the path was rocky, and I chose to wander from it. And there were desert times and “not much happening” times. But there were also times it was a mountain top experience with a clear view of where I was to go.
To be able to share about Jesus I had to be prepared to tell my story. My story has different versions for different situations. All are based on the overarching story of having Jesus in my life, from even before I committed my life to Him until today. Of course, I can’t share those 60+ years every time I share with someone, but I can share according to each situation.
Here’s a peek into my story. I grew up knowing about Jesus from my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Church has always been a part of my life from the time I was very young attending Sunday School in a small neighborhood church. Then came youth groups and church camp. Attending church camp for the first time I felt the call on my life to Christian service, but that stayed dormant for many years.
When I married my high school sweetheart, we committed to a marriage of three – Jesus, Jim, and me and began meeting with a life group that continues to be a part of our life. Soon our daughter was born and at the age of two was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Those were years we hung onto Jesus for His promise of faithfulness. When she died at the age of 22, we were reassured by the promise of a resurrection body (Acts 15:35-57). And then we prayed and waited. What was to fill the next chapter of our life together?
The time came when God opened and closed doors, allowing us to begin serving in full-time ministry with TCM International. What started with my saying, “No, never, but I will pray about it,” led me to hear God ask again and again, “why not?,” until I understood He was calling us to something bigger than ourselves. Today we continue to serve in a variety of ways – through e2, caring for aging parents, helping aging friends, being the hands and feet of Jesus however He calls us to be.
Why do I share this with you? Because every Christ follower has a story. My story has very little drama, but God has been present through every moment. This month we have been looking at STRONGER WITNESS. As I look at our world and the sense of hopelessness that so many feel ours is an urgent message that must be told. Jesus is our only hope and my life and witness and being able to share it speaks to who He is.
How are you sharing your story?
