We are Stories

Last night during the teaching time at my church, I heard a wonderful concept from Pastor Terry. First he opened with a brief history of First Alliance Church and closed with a verse from 2 Corinthians 10 about how we should not boast of ourselves but of the Lord and a reminder that all we do is done through God. That serves as a reminder for me not to get too proud about my writing but to remember it is a God given talent.

I have heard from those who believe we evolved from primordial ooze, and those who quote scripture that clearly states man was created from dirt by God, and woman was created from Adam’s rib to ensure she knew her place was not above him, not below him but beside him as his Ezer Kenegdo. If you really look at those two ideas, they aren’t too different. Who is to say God didn’t take primordial ooze and over His days which definitely can’t be compared to our 24 hour days, evolve them to what we now know as human beings? On the other hand having watched enough stock car races, hockey games and football games, I can understand why some people believe we evolved from apes. Yes I will plead guilty; my mind did wander a bit during the teaching time. Thankfully when I realized it was drifting, I prayed to God to help me stay focus on what the service was.

Pastor Terry had begun to talk about how we need to realize we are each part of a story and we need to identify our story. There was no way after that my mind did any wandering. I love the concept that I should look at my story line as though it is a letter from Christ to the world. It makes me realize that my words, my actions, my very attitude are a testimony for better or worse to the Living God. It helped my self esteem to realize I was a letter written on a human heart of love and life in Christ Jesus. I know I will never achieve perfection but to realize the Author’s intention is that my story, your story, our story is Christ’s desire for me, you and us to be a masterpiece is inspirational during times when I feel unworthy or unsure of how to handle a situation.

I got the term Ezer Kenegdo from John and Stasi Eldredge’s book Captivating. It is a very beautiful, well written, empowering book that inspired me to rise above a less than stellar past and realize that no matter what the past is it is the present God cares about. During a Captivating retreat I had many moments when I felt it was not my hand writing, but my hand being guided by God. I recently had someone on a message board heckle me to quit writing about crap I didn’t know anything about and write about what I did know. After my heart quit hurting, God told me that person was right. Now when I write, I pray to God, and let Him control the storyline.

Proverbs 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife: but he that puts his trust in the Lord shall be made wise.