Earlier this year, I kept hearing about one of the great sessions given at January’s Mere Anglicanism Conference. It seems the subject was, to paraphrase, “Telling Your Story.” A vivid recollection made me search through my Bible, where I store many important writings and personal letters, and there it was:

July 7, 2005

This is a writing for my Bible study group, which has been such a wonderful Godly group that has blessed me. My reason for writing is that maybe in some way this letter will encourage or serve each one of you.

In a simple summary, let’s call this “Story Telling.” Everyone has a story. Every Christian has a story of how God colored their life and, in most cases, enlightened them. Too often, I probably have discounted the importance of just how God changed my life by underestimating the very importance of  “my story.”  Maybe you have done the same. Perhaps that is because we fear rejection or ridicule or just pay too much attention to our inhibitions to dare tell our personal experience. Worse is believing that the story of how God changes our lives doesn’t seem important enough or significant enough to tell. I believe most of us have been in one or all those strongholds along our Christian journey.

When we reflect on Scripture and literally open our Bibles to most pages of the Word of God, we can be sure it will be a story to example Gods’ presence in the lives of His people. Focus for a moment on when God really made His presence known to you. This was a time you will never forget, even if it only involved the two of you––and no lightning or thunder for effect.

Being willing to share that story with someone else doesn’t mean you have to share it with just anyone; most of us are not evangelists. Rather, we are mostly concerned with our sphere of family and friends and truly want them to know their importance in our lives. Doesn’t it look like the word “important” keeps coming up?   

It can be said that our stories of God’s presence in our lives and the blessings we receive are the seeds of Christ in each of us, seeds that will flourish as fruit of the spirit. When we tell our story to those special people in our life, we plant a tiny seed in them that may well grow into their salvation. Just imagine that ...

I had this amazing experience with a dearest friend who was struggling in a life-threatening challenge. She was completely overcome and suicidal. The fact that she was Jewish was an excuse I could have used to just be a good listener.

Instead, I took the leap and told her about Jesus saving me, and after all the story telling, she agreed to meet a prayer leader in our church. Her name is Juanita, and she has such a heart for God . I knew she would be the perfect one to speak with my friend, Alice.

Nothing in my twenty-year friendship with Alice could have prepared me for the outcome of her inviting a new presence into her life: Jesus Christ! As I write this today, Alice has begun to go to a church on Sullivan’s Island and been counseled by the minister there. She is enrolled in the Alpha course and is talking seriously about being baptized. I will never underestimate THE IMPORTANCE of my story or that of the mustard seed again.

I end with where I began and say with love to all of you, tell your story and let the power of the Holy Spirit do the rest.

2023 Update:

Two years after I wrote this letter to my Bible study, my dearest friend Alice passed away. By this time, she indeed was baptized and had become a Messianic Jewish woman. I cherish the thought of our friendship continuing one day in paradise!

At her funeral in her Christian church on Sullivan’s Island, she asked to have a rabbi present as a comfort for all of her Jewish friends and family members. Ever concerned with the needs of others as was her nature, and that provision made a touchy situation into a beautiful tribute to the Glory of God.