What are your stories?
Everyone has one, a STORY that tells WHO YOU ARE.
Why are you here?
Or perhaps more relationally we could ask,
Why were you there and then, in a moment so memorable to a loved one in your life?
Was it providential — ‘a God thing?’
I know a woman who wrote a book, an autobiography about so many wonderful moments in her now-deceased life. So we read a few of her stories while she was with us, but mostly we basked in her presence that gave us joy.
Some of you, like me, have written partial or even complete autobiographies (as I began by decade last summer).
No one reads them and they’re not the type of STORIES we want from you, our readers.
BUT, you have a story or two from your past — memories overflowing in meaningful moments — a story that illustrates who you are.. or who you try to be.
Tell us YOUR STORY in a comment or an email.
YOUR STORY Page on Talk of JESUS .com
READ my explanation of YOUR SUMMER STORIES page.
We will edit and post your stories along with mine.
CLICK the Continue reading LINK below for more. - RH
Why am I here? – the reason for MY story
… and YOURS..
I humble borrow a heart-felt sentiment of the Apostle Paul in writing a letter, truly an explanation for his story, in his letter to dear friends of the church in Phillipi.
“For to me to live is Christ ..
Philippians 1:21a
Paul writes this in a letter to his beloved fellow saints – Christians – in Philippi from Rome about ten years after the Lord had brought these gentiles in a Roman city of Macedonia into the fellowship of our Lord the risen Christ Jesus.
The Apostle to the gentiles had been beaten and imprisoned for his faith there in Phillipi and many came to believe in Christ through the signs witnessed through Paul, Silas and others.
For me, Paul writes, ‘to live is Christ.’
When our STORY gets personal
Like Paul, you and I may not know when a moment in our life will become personal to someone we love. Ten years later though, your story may prove more important in some relationship, including yours with the Lord Jesus, and your WHY will emerge.
IF you have read some of my autobiography you will know that I was raised in the church, but did not yet know the Lord personally. Just a few years before my beach and backyard memories I was born again in the Holy Spirit.
Then, and not until then, JESUS Christ became personal to me as I realized that our Lord had become Personal for me (and others who believe in Him) on the Cross.
THE ENDING is not our End
Who is important to YOU and your story?
Some of us can say things like, “The chief end of man is to glorify God…” etc.,
BUT it doesn’t really get personal until your relationships include not only your loved ones, but also the eternal Son of our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once I accepted a faith I never knew would soon sustain me the fragility of life and love tested that very faith in Christ I had hardly known.
My beloved wife was to face terminal cancer while we were only in our forties. Those moments in our back yard and at the beach building sandcastles built memories of blessings so gracious and evident – the blessings of God and the love like Jesus for all souls He embraced.
Who sees YOUR story and your WHY?
I loved so many fellow saints who filled the hallowed walls of our local church for my beloved wife’s funeral. Her life had been a saintly witness for Jesus Christ. So many loved her so much. And they know she loved God and loved like Jesus. We would all miss her for a time.. but that time is brief.. a brief moment, a memory… not eternal loss if we too know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our families witness our faith and our story.
I know that to live is Christ!
JESUS Christ is life eternal and we rejoice in the love of God our embracing Father. Not only for our daughter and other loved ones.. not only for a moment in mortal time.. but in witness to the Lord in times and places we cannot see clearly.
Won’t you tell us YOUR STORY… ?
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