Tell Your Story

In the entire history of the world, there has never been anyone exactly like you. You have a story to tell, and you are the only one who can tell it. No matter your age, no matter how long you have followed Christ, no matter what you’ve been through, you have a story.

Not too long ago, my husband and I sat around a table of strangers and told our story. We’ve done it many times, so we were both surprised when the emotion welled up in us. My shoulders shook in sobs as the impact of the pain and sorrow hit me in a fresh way. I was overwhelmed by the grief, yes, but I was also overwhelmed by the grace and love of God.

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story,” Psalm 107 begins. There have been hard times. There have been many tears. But God has used what should only be brokenness, and He has breathed joy and hope into it. Life has sprung into what should have ended in death. He has redeemed us.

Psalm 107 goes on to tell the story of God’s people, the Israelites. There were times they wandered, times when they were hungry and thirsty. They sat in darkness, in rebellion, and in bitterness. They kept crying out to the Lord, and He heard them and saved them over and over. Sprinkled throughout the Psalm, four different times, the exact same verse is repeated: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind” (Psalm 107:8,15,21,31, NIV).

Their story is not that different from ours. We wander and fail. We’re wounded and broken. Just like them, there is a thread of grace throughout. And for that we give thanks to Him.

The psalmist reminds us that giving thanks is something we keep on doing, every single day. It’s not something we do only when life is sweet and good. We give thanks because there is always something to be thankful for—even when life crumbles around us; even when it’s hard and heartbreaking. We tell our stories with gratefulness as the cornerstone. It certainly doesn’t come naturally, but it’s a muscle we can build in this turbulent life.

You are redeemed. You have a story to tell. And when you tell it, remember to give thanks for the goodness of God and His unfailing love, weaving in and out of every moment.