being formed

#3 story

Dear Reader,

Hope you're having a fantastic week so far!

devotional

A couple of weekends ago, I was at an event supporting a dear friend... and it was beautiful. One by one, each person told their story. Many bravely sharing their story vulnerably for the first time in front of a group of people. There was rawness and authenticity, and I felt privileged and blessed to learn about their lives.

Everyone had their own story. They were all unique. Not one of them had been on the same identical journey in their lives. There were stories of brokenness, stories of shame, stories of hurt, of pain, of valleys, of overcoming, of joy, of victory, of love and of peace.

And as I listened, I noticed an interlinking theme. A similarity... of God’s redeeming love. For His love conquers all.

Your story matters.

You matter.

No matter what you have done, are doing, and will do in the future... God loves you.

I feel strongly to share this—perhaps there is someone reading this who needs to hear this today. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ. (Romans 8:35,38-39)

Our faithful and almighty God will redeem every hurt and every tear. In the new heaven and new earth, God declares that He will wipe away every tear; there will be no mourning, no crying, no pain, and no death! He will make all things new. (Revelation 21:1-5)

Hearing all those precious stories reminded me of the beautiful exchange in Luke 7:38—where a sinful woman wet Jesus feet with her tears, kissed, poured perfume, and wiped them with her hair.

It caused me to think—why do we sometimes hide from our own story? Maybe you're like me when I pretend I have a different story and wish I could be like other people? I don't want to give into the lie of the enemy that I'm not worthy.

I like how Tyler Staton expresses this -

"Everyone of us has a story. None of us has a story that we want to have. And the story we actually have is the most precious thing in God’s eyes. He goes into the parts of the story that I want to edit or erase altogether. He doesn’t edit them; he redeems them. He makes them the most precious scenes in my story because they are the ones that I experience his love deepest. And then if I offer them to other people, they become the words I possess that have the most power to help other people experience the same love.

If I have a redemption story and I tell it like a story I think I want, not the story I actually have, then I’m robbing someone else of the love and life of God that I have experienced the deepest."

Our trials and difficulties are what make us who we are. In Joseph Campbell's famous story arch, there are 12 stages of a hero's journey. Whether you're currently going through a trial, or have just been through one, it's by journeying through these hard times that has the opportunity to transform us.

Perhaps that's why James in James 1:2-4 asks us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

story

"Mum, why does Aunty Mish have to borrow our dog every week?"

The kindness of having the company of my friend's dog kept me going during that insane covid period. I had something to look forward to each week. Another breathing, living being to be with one night every week.

I didn't even realise the extent that being alone at home over those months had impacted me until I reluctantly dropped my friend's dog back at her place the first time when this arrangement started.

On the way home, I was ugly crying - you know the type of crying where your tears go everywhere uncontrollably? I still vividly remember having to stop driving and pull up on the side of the road because I couldn't see through all my tears. Something wasn't right—I have never been attached to dogs like that before... and I had only spent a few hours with my friend's dog. Why was it so hard for me? What was going on inside me?

Fast forward to today - I now have my own dog, pictured above. Whilst I don't wish the pain I went through on anyone else, it was only because it was so hard that I now have a new addition to my family - my very affectionate and loyal dog Kobe. He is the greatest gift covid gave to me.

Today, Kobe is my constant companion and a reminder of God's presence to me. I feel really blessed that he always desires to be with me, just like our Heavenly Father!

I realise that not every story has a happy ending... and if you are going through a rough patch right now, please be extra gentle and kind on yourself.

quote

The greatest gift I have to steward on behalf of the world is the little story I have that fits within the big one. ~ Tyler Staton

question

Is there part of your story that you find hard to accept? Is there part of your story that you could bravely share with others?

prayer

God, thank you. Thank you for my life so far. Thank you for creating me. That you made me so wonderfully. Thank you for continuing to journey with me to this point in time.

Please take away the shame from parts of my life that I'm not proud of. May I trust in your goodness, your faithfulness and have a greater appreciation of the heights, depths, and breath of your love for me.

Thank you that you are a God who pursues and loves sinners. I'm sorry for the times I've run my life my way and ignored you. Please forgive me.

For those of us going through particularly hard times right now, I ask for comfort and peace and an extra measure of your grace. May you envelop them with your loving care and presence. Holy Spirit, guide them to a place in scripture where they can make sense of their experience right now... so they know where they fit in your story. Give them an anchor, somewhere where they draw strength from.

Thank you for your promise of never leaving nor forsaking us and for always wanting to be intimately involved in our story.

Amen