When I was a little girl, I loved to write stories. In fact, for one birthday I was gifted a typewriter so I could type up the stories that filled my head! As I grew, though, I stopped writing stories. I cannot remember exactly why I stopped, but I think I began to doubt my ability to tell a good story — on paper and in my own life.
Still, other people’s stories have always fascinated me. I love to discover the themes in someone’s story. I am drawn to stories of courage, suffering, deep loss, and deep joy. There is something that comes alive inside of me when I am sitting with someone and they share vulnerably about their personal story. I can’t help but marvel at the profound narrative God is continually writing.
Revelation 12:11 says, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
This verse reveals the power of knowing and declaring the story of God in our lives, even in the midst of immense hardship and suffering. As someone who grew up in different church settings, I have heard many people give their “testimony.” Often, the majority of these stories focus briefly on some of the darkness, loss, or suffering someone has endured, and end on the high note of a salvation experience. At times it can seem like as soon as we encounter Jesus, everything is fixed, our lives are suddenly better, and we no longer struggle.
But if we are honest, this is so often not reality. Jesus does transform and redeem our stories. However, the truth is that in this age, we continue to encounter suffering and challenge. Jesus promised that “in this life you will have trouble” (John 16:33). We get a devastating medical diagnosis. We have painful and broken relationships. We have unfulfilled dreams. We do not have enough financial resource to do all that is in our hearts. We may live in social and cultural contexts that are restrictive or even life-threatening. These are difficult aspects of our stories to grapple with and integrate.
So what do we do with our stories — stories made of moments of deep joy and victory, as well as seasons of pain and loss?
I am experiencing what it means to overcome through the power of a testimony wrestled with, explored, and expressed with honesty and openness to the story God has been writing all along.
In his book, To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape your Future, psychologist Dan Allender writes, “You are a story. You are not merely the possessor and teller of a number of stories; you are a well-written, intentional story that is authored by the greatest Writer of all time, and even before time and after time.”
Too often we engage with our lives as nothing but moments, strung together, perhaps lacking real intentionality. However, the truth is that our Creator is writing a divine, beautiful, powerful story in each of our lives. As David declared, “all the days ordained for me are written in your book, Oh God!” (Psalm 139:16). We are invited to engage in the glorious story God has been writing from the beginning of time by exploring our own stories.
As a girl, I lost the confidence that I could tell a good story. My life felt a little boring, sometimes confusing and painful, and I wondered if my story was worthy of telling. However, as I have begun to consider the importance of mining the depths of my own story, I am discovering that all along the Spirit of God has been present. He has been present in moments of strength, as well as in moments of weakness and sorrow.
By looking back on my story, I am discovering themes and passions that have sprung from suffering and loss. I am finding a voice that helps me better understand my own unique calling, and this is giving me courage to live faithfully into the story I am invited to co-author with Christ.
I am experiencing what it means to overcome, not with human strength or resilience, but through the power of a testimony wrestled with, explored, and expressed with honesty and openness to the story God has been writing all along.
We are at the beginning of a new year, which is always a beautiful time to begin fresh. On this website, we will intentionally explore the theme of story over the next year. We want to explore the stories God is writing in surprising places, in relationships, in suffering, and in joy. We will tell our own personal stories and share your stories from all over the world.
As always, we invite you to share your stories with us! We also encourage you to explore your own story, perhaps in a way you never have before. Join us on a journey this year as we take a deeper look at parts of our lives that we may have forgotten — or even written off. Christ continues to reveal himself to us, and often, he reveals himself through the power of our honest and beautiful testimony.
