Remembering Stones: God in YOUR Story

/

Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given.
Psalm 105:5 NLT

Each of us is on a unique journey and has a story to tell. Our journey-stories are filled with highs and lows, adventures and crises, and everything in between.

sunrise — Long beach island, NJ

Author Anne Lamott says that some have chosen “to see the world sacramentally, to see everything as an outward and visible sign of inward, invisible grace.” So God reveals Himself in and through even the mundane of our lives.

Perhaps now is the time to begin writing your faith journey. When I started journaling mine, I was motivated by thinking,

“Oh how I wish my godly grandmother and my godly mother had kept a journal or had written of their journey with God through the trials of life.”

But alas, they had not. And it was most likely not possible for them. But it was possible for me. So I began.

I pray you will take the risk and begin. Tell your story in whatever genre (poetry or prose), whatever style you desire. Even in bits and pieces and sporadically will be beneficial. Write in the “nooks and crannies of time” in your life. Don’t get sucked into a perfectionistic trap.

May God bless you in your writing. May you see His Smile and hear His Voice as you reflect on the beautiful life God has given you. Your children and grandchildren will thank you. And you may find that in the writing, you meet God afresh in the midst of your “stuff.”

His Plan

Each day is a picture
Of God as the Victor
Of all the challenges we face.

We may not see His hand
As He works out His plan
But He’s helping us run our race.

He’s always been there
Whether or not we’re aware
No matter the time or place

Each life tells the tale
Of God’s strength when we’re frail
And His Blessings of Love and His Grace!

Penny Mandeville

[Adapted from Glory in Disguise, “Your Story: Remembering His Revelation]

SUNSET — GULF SHORES, AL



Here are a few questions to get you started:

  1. What are some of your earliest memories?

  2. Was there a significant person, place, truth that impacted you in your early years?

  3. What were your turning points in life? Jot them down. You can go back and process with the Lord later. So whether hugely significant or not, record them. You never know what God may reveal to you.

  4. What were some of the lovely things in your life? Can you see God in those things? Thank Him.

  5. What were some of the hard things that happened in your life?
    Process them with the Lord. Thank Him even for those.
    Ask the Lord to show you where He was in the midst of your trial.
    Watch how God takes your struggles and trials, as time goes on, and reveals truths about Himself and about your life that you can build upon.

Or follow this suggestion from The Critical Journey:Stages in the Life of Faith by
Hagberg, J.O; Guelich, R.A. 

  • What were your 3 most significant religious or spiritual experiences before the age of 25?

  • What were your 3 most significant religious or spiritual experiences after the age of 25?

No matter what method you chose, just start writing or journaling your thoughts — no need to write it up formally. I started out with events and memories and significant people, etc. And little by little, God revealed Himself and what He was doing at that time.

God is in your narrative.
Ask Him to open your eyes to see Him there.