Saturday, September 17, 2011

Stories

We all have a story. Seveal months ago - our pastor at church reminded us that "every seat was a story." So not just a person at church, not just some one sitting there, but that each of us has a story.

Some stories are easy to share.

Some are not.

Some stories are funny, happy, sad, thought provoking or whatever, but they are all different.

Some stories are about a personal journey. Maybe between someone and God. Some stories involve lots of other people and lots of different circumstances.

Some stories have happy endings, some sad. Some stories are on-going. And I would venture to say, that in each of our lifetimes we each have several different stories. So maybe one has ended and another has begun.

And each time we go through a phase, or season in life we come out with something. It's something like - a good lesson learned, or baggage or some sort of issue we didn't have before, but have now, or maybe we just put down one issue and picked up another. And everyone learns differently, and learns different things from similar or even the same experience.

And here's a news flash - and one I might have mentioned before - we all have issues! I know, big surprise right?! Here's another news flash to go with it - we don't understand each others issues! The reason we don't understand them, usually, is because they aren't our issues. So we cannot understand why someone feels or acts or interprets things a certain way, because that's not a "problem" we have inside our own heads.

You have a life experience. It changes you. Maybe it changes someone else too, but in different ways. So like I said earlier one issue has been over come, but maybe a new ones developed. Either way, I don't think we learn anything from our own stories, unless we put them in the context of Christ's story. How could we ever grow, and change and become who we were meant to be if we don't understand the love that Christ has for us. For me. For you.

The Bible tells us - in a very well known verse - John 3:16 - that God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross for our sins. That's powerful stuff. And it's the basis for living a life of forgiveness and freedom. Jesus wanted to come to earth and take away our sins. Did He want to die a horrible, humiliating, painful death on a cross? No, but he loved His Father and us so much that He was willing to do that. For me. For you. And for every single person ever to walk this planet.

So each of our stories are different. Happy, painful, sad - each story has the promise of Life and Love and eternity with our Heavenly Father and our Savior.

Life is a serious of our personal stories. It's how we grow, change and develop. It's how we learn more about ourselves and those around us and it's how we learn more about Christ.

Here's a quote I saw on a board outside a church, it's kinda what started me thinking down this trail. I like it. It's good for me to remember about myself, and it's a good reminder to have grace and mercy toward others.


"Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future."


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