She had a frazzled day, that was clear. She had raced through traffic to pick me up at the airport. She apologized for the cleanliness of her car (which resembled mine at home, exactly).

Then we zoomed into traffic.

“Tell me about you,” I said, hoping to put her at ease.

And for the next half hour she did. When we made it to the hotel she apologized.

“I’m so sorry. I took the entire time talking about myself.”

What she didn’t know is that the Holy Spirit was speaking through her. Every word of her story was falling into a tender, hurting place few knew about.

Once upon a time everyone she knew had given up on her. She lost her son due to addiction. She lost her dreams.

Then one day she walked into a church because they had a Celebrate Recovery program.

“They loved me right where I was,” she said.

Over the next two years she learned how to live sober. She regained custody of her child. She married a good man she met in CR. She gave birth to a little girl.

She had discovered how much Jesus loved her, and it completely changed her life.

Sometimes I “read” the Bible in a new way. On that day I read it through a frazzled, faith-filled, beautiful mama who picked me up at the airport.

  • Her story reminded me of the power of Christ’ love.
  • Her story reminded me that when we wrap around each other, it can lead to transformation.
  • Her story reminded me that second chances are real, and God can redeem the parts of our stories we don’t like.

Her story reminded me of scriptures such as these:

They will know you by your love (John 13:35).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life (John 3:16).

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 3:4).

Oh, that tender part I mentioned. You see, I was discouraged over someone I care about. I’ve been praying for years for her. Honestly, there are times I wonder if she’ll ever be okay.

[bctt tweet=”Because of Christ’s love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. #livingfreetogether #truth #faith” username=”suzanneeller”]

And on that day I saw what answered prayer looks like as sweet, sweet encouragement wrapped around those doubts and tender places.

The word of God is found in the Bible, but it’s also found in the stories of real life people who encounter God and who are changed by Him.

Never, ever underestimate the power of sharing your story.  And don’t let the frazzle of your day, or the imperfections of your life (messy cars, messy houses, work-in-progress areas of your heart) keep you from telling others what God is doing in you. He’ll use it in ways you can’t even imagine.

Suzie

Q: What is one miracle God has done in you?

Resources

For teens: Making It Real: Whose Faith is it Anyway?

For you: The Mended Heart: God’s Healing for Your Broken Places