Part 1, If They Knew Who I Really Was
Do you have stories from your past you are not particularly proud of? In my case, there are a lot of them, but time and the grace of God have provided a renewed perspective in the way I view them.
Before surrendering to Christ, I buried my sin and shame with alcohol and marijuana. Insecurity and inadequacy continued its cycle until the last straw of my marriage broke into pieces. My life was shattered with nothing left but to come clean and throw myself on the mercy of the God I trusted as a child. Oddly, my fall lifted me up and was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I cried out to the Savior of my soul who did not chastise me but met me in a puddle at the foot of the cross. Jesus did not measure me by the sum of my deeds but by the power of his shed blood on the cross. Jesus carried me through one of the worst times of my life and gave me a new identity in Christ. From that moment on, I clung to Jesus like a drowning woman clings to the Rock.
I have discovered that writing with Jesus offers me perspective on the darker moments of my past, and great joy in the heavenly perspective he gives me as I share stories with my female readers. I have compassion for her plight, her hurts, and her brokenness. Knowing her as I do, I am able to see beyond her stumbling, into what may be God‘s perfect plan for her… how he brought her out of brokenness into an incredible plan for her life. What a joy it is to watch that girl (you and me) grow in the grace of God and the power of story.
Deep Dive – Beloved, your story matters.