Archive for the ‘Next Thing You Know’ Tag
The Power of Telling Your Story
Filed under: By Nan Kuhlman, Christian Living, Relationships | Tags: Matthew West, Next Thing You Know, storytelling
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In the past few weeks, I’ve had two students share with me practically the same story. It is a common story, one that I’ve heard several times before, and it goes like this: a set of keys goes missing and can’t be found anywhere. After a quick, earnest prayer, a resulting strong feeling almost compels the pray-er to the exact spot where the missing keys are. A minor crisis is averted, and God is praised.
Although I’ve heard this story before and have even experienced it personally, I never tire of hearing it. Telling our stories about the way God has acted in our lives encourages us and encourages others. When we affirm to ourselves and others that God helped us when we needed it, it boosts our faith that the Father, Son, and Spirit are concerned about the smallest problems we encounter.
And when we stop to think about it, each of our lives is a story, assembled with moments – a birth, the first day of school, graduation, our wedding, holidays with family, and many more. Recognizing these special moments as instances of God’s grace in our lives, then sharing that knowledge with others reminds us that we all have more in common than we think. As we tell our stories to others, and they recount a similar experience, we see more evidence of our interconnectedness with all humanity and the love the Father, Son, and Spirit have for all.
One of my favorite songs by a Christian artist is “Next Thing You Know” by Matthew West. In the song, he recounts how he experienced God at work in his life, and then says:
So what’s your story…about His glory? You gotta find your place in the history of grace. Yeah, what’s your story…about His glory? Come on and find your place.
You see, each of us has a story about how we have experienced God at work in our lives, and each story has a place in the tapestry of the world. By sharing our stories “about His glory,” we are contributing to the history of God’s goodness and grace. In addition, we boost our faith and the faith of those to whom we tell our stories. 
As we move through the holiday season in the next few weeks, we will have many opportunities to get together with family and friends and share our stories of God’s infinite love and grace. It’s time to find our place in the history of grace.