Why Your Story Matters

I've been challenged recently to write out a piece of my story from a time in my life that greatly shaped me and changed who I was. That time being my high school and college aged years.

I'm reminded of how broken and lost I was at 16 years old when my whole world came down around me. I lived the years to follow believing that I wasn't worthy of love or respect and showed it in my actions. I desperately looked for love and approval. As the song goes, "I was looking for love in all the wrong places."

All these years later I reflect back to that time in my life and the first thing that comes to mind is, "I really shouldn't be Okay!" I don't mean to be dramatic here, but seriously, the damage that was done turned the course of my life. Events shaped me and left eternal scars.

I have found healing through counseling and God's truths over the years, I've shared this story with girls going through similar situations and have seen God use my story. Yet, I'm still taken back by God's ability to write a beautiful story of transformation. In the past I was focusing on healing and now I see the miracle a little more clear. 

It's easy to grow familiar with the scars that I deal with on a daily basis but often times I forget the severity of the wound that made them.   

I can relate my past experiences to the story of the woman at the well (John 4:1-40). She had a bad reputation, she was alone and isolated, and appeared to have no self worth. I can assume that men didn't treat her with respect and she didn't trust them. And then she meets Jesus, he wasn't judgmental of her life rather he gave her hope. The kindness He showed her seemed to light a fire in her, giving her the courage to boldly go back to the village and tell the towns people what she saw. Given her history she was probably the least likely to be sharing the good news, yet God used her anyway. There have been key people in my life over the years that have lit that same fire in me, giving me courage to do things that I was too terrified of otherwise. They saw potential despite all the brokenness of my life. Most importantly, Jesus saw through my hurt, my poor choices and my less than pretty actions and He wrote a beautiful story from a life of destruction.  What a miracle God works in our very broken lives.

"Let me see redemption win. Let me know the struggle ends. That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn. I wanna know a song can rise from the ashes of a broken life. And all that's dead inside can be reborn. Cause I'm worn." (Tenth Avenue North "Worn")

I love this song by Tenth Avenue North. He CAN mend a heart that is frail and torn, the most fragile heart. He can and will heal it. I am living proof of a life that has been reborn. I lived a life of guilt and shame for many years and Jesus came along and gave me the time of day. 

He gave me the time of day! 

It helps to glance over my shoulder at times and remember what God has carried me through. Whatever you may be going through today, hold on to this truth that He loves us regardless of our past mistakes. 

"See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us his children, and that is what we are."  
(1 John 3:1)