What's Your Story?: A Devotion

7/29/2019 What's Your Story?: A Devotion

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Whats Your Story?

A DevotionByDonOriginally told in February 2011


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Beginning Scripture:

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost. Luke19:10

Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:Dont begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And

dont try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy.6Go to the lost,

confused people right here in the neighborhood.7Tell them that the

kingdom is here.8Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the

untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so

live generously.9Dont think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign

before you start.10

You dont need a lot of equipment. You are the

equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel

light. Matthew 10:5-10 (The Message)

Dont overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a

thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isnt late with his promise

as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you,

holding back the End because hedoesnt want anyone lost. Hes givingeveryone space and time to change. 2 Peter 3:8-9 (The Message)

Whether it was a sheep, a coin, a brother or a son, Jesus always had

compassion for the lost. Im blessed to be a part of Stephen Ministry, to

be a part ofcaring for the hurting, who may or may not be lost in the sense

of not knowing Christ. None-the-less, these are people who have lost

something significant in their life. As we well know, there is a world of

hurt out there and Christ cares for all of them.

Whenever I hear a story of trials or a demise, I immediately also think,Wow, but by the grace of God, there go I! The truth is that each of us has

our own trials. Some are just greater than others and some justseem greater

than others. Saying this reminds me of the definition ofmajorsurgery: If

its happening to me, its major!

Some of our lifetime global events have particularly caught my attention

(and Im sure yours), especially when they are shown with accompanying


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pictures of the people affected. For example, the storms in Sri Lanka, the

cyclones in India, the oil spill in our Gulf and the California fires; and now

the anger playing out in the mid-east, and the more recent brutal devastation

from Hurricane Sandy all have captured our hearts and minds.

Then consider these stories that have affected me even more, as I havereflected on reality through the lens of a personal relationship. One

classmate I had been in close touch with through Facebook died; his wife

was overwhelmed yet held a steady composure at the funeral. Another

classmates wife died suddenly, without a warning; he looks the same but his

heart has been pierced. Yet another classmate is under a devastating affect of

Sclerosisof the liver, a fact unrealized to a friend of mine who wants to meet

her because she looks so pretty.

Listen to this story of a 50-plus year old woman who came into Janets life.This lady has moved from place-to-place, taking whatever job she can find,

always sleeping on a mattress on the floor. She came from a dysfunctional

family of alcoholics and non-believers. And while all of this is true, if you

met her, you wouldnt have a clue! Separately, at church a one Sunday, a

friend pointed out a couple and said, Do you see that couple? She has

breast cancer and he is losing his sight. But you wouldnt know it by looking

at them.

A more recent story learned is of a relatively new friend of Janets, a lady,

who looks healthy and wonderful, yet who lost her voiceforever, and

without explanation, except to know it was a neurological disorder that could

get worse. Janet heard of this plight when this ladys parents, who both lived

in the same assisted living home as Janets mother, were moved togetherinto

a hospital because they both had pneumonia. While in the hospital, the

mother died; the father, with Parkinsons, was able to return home, but began

asking his daughter where his wife was. Im sure none of us can evenimagine the experience of this lady, crying in pain over the sudden loss of

her mother and filled with the sadness of her father, without being able to

utter a sound. In her case, the good news is she was a believer. Still, the loss

of her voice and her mother left herlostin significant ways, and so in need of

Gods love expressed through us and others.


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What all of these people had or have in common is that unless you stopped

and engaged them, you wouldnt know they had a problem until it was

disclosed.

The stories of devastation of countries or areas of a country are really stories

of people, people impacted, where too often lives were changed for theworse. And stories of individuals are usually like iceberg tips that show us

some of the trials in a life, but not allof the trials of the person we see. For

example, if you were a friend of Janets friends father, you might have

known of his alcoholism, but might not have known of how that played out

in his daughters life.

Jesus overwhelmingly cares for these people and tells us that in Matthew 11:

28, giving an invitation and prescription for rest in the next two verses,28Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give yourest.

29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble

of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.30For my yoke is easy, and my

burden light. Matthew 11:28-30

It is with this background that I now look at almost everyone I meet, or just

see, and wonder: Whatsyour story? This question first came to me while

I was in Colombia, South America, where I tookthe cover picture of a man

pulling a cart through the city. From an appearance standpoint, he couldhave been me. And maybe thats what caught my attention.

This same question came to me when I was recently seated in Vitos, a

Hampton restaurant I visit each week. As I was waiting for and then having

lunch, I was drawn to the faces of the workers, each of which had a look of a

story within them. So moved by this moment, I was inspired to write the

ditty, A Simple Smile. [See this at the end of this devotion.]

What I have learned is we can look at someone and not know their story of

difficulties, of struggles, sadness and of hardships, of some kind of need,

unless we ask. And more importantly, we may not be able to know where

they are with the Lord, unless we ask. Ive also learned that each person I

meet has a story; everyone has a story, even those who answer your question

of, Howre you doing? with a response of, Great! Its really a question

of whether we can and will engage to learn their story. Our dear friend Dick


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Woodward approaches these situations with a follow-up question of,

Howre you REALLY doing?

My friend who pointed out the couple in church says what we need from the

Church is not spiritual police but, rather, spiritual physicians. Jesus so much

as said, and lived out, the same message. When responding to the Phariseesquestion, in Matthew 9:12-13, He said, Those who are well do not need a

physician, but the sick do.13

Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire

mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. So

what Im wondering is, How I can be a better PA.Physicians

Assistant?!

One way, I think, is for me to be more aware and more interested in everyone

I encounter, listening-up for tidbits that may uncover their story. And when I

find a story of hurting, I need to seek some way to show Gods love.Stephen Ministry training has been good for this. After our training, we

suddenly realized we were seeing many opportunities to share the love of

Christ, opportunities we never recognized before. And, of course, the

likely truth is we were encountering these opportunities all along, but just not

aware of them.

The devotional application, then, is that we listen more and seek Gods help

in uncovering stories, . stories of hurt, stories of need and stories whereGod would have us involved. And that we do this by heeding His

instructions to, Go to the lost, confused people right here in theneighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Andif theres any

hesitation, we can be reminded of guarding against that when we read in 1

John 3:17, If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and

refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?.

Now Im mindful of the challenges that come with this: first, of becomingoverwhelmed and overloaded in other lives, such that we lose track of our

own life, and second, of discerning out ofmany stories, the ones in which

God would have us involved (This latter point might be called theBegging

Homeless People Syndrome, where we have so many people asking for our

money that we dont know where and how to respond!). Thats where our

prayer comes in, asking God for His guidance.


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From self-observation, my error typically falls on the side ofDidnt go far

enough, vs. the Went too far side. I need to remember we are to bear

with one another, as told in Colossians 3:12-13:12Put on then, as Gods

chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility,

gentleness, and patience,13bearing with one another and that our

assignment is simply to Go to the lost. And remembering the comfort wehave from Matthew 25:40 is also a great thing, where Jesus tells us, "I tell

you the truth: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,

you did for me"!

In addition to the already stated help Jesus gives to us and all He loves (i.e.,

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you

rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble

of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. ), He also tell us, through

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, that His grace will be sufficient, but he said tome, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.

So now were to be looking for weakness? Hey, I think I can find that. First

in the mirror, and then almost everywhere I go. How about you? Whats

your story?


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A Simple Smile

How many times we walk right byWhile rushing to a placeWhen if wed only slowed to look,We might have seen a face.A face thats tired, a face thats sad,Or maybe in despair.A face that could have used our love,A smile that showed, I care.We have our good intentions asWe press to do good deeds.Yet somehow in our hustle mightWe overlook their needs?

A simple smile could be our start,And more if we would pause To give a hand in some small way,And care about their cause.Perhaps we are afraid our stopJust might become their crutch.When all thats really needed isA simple smile or touch.The truth is that the need existsFor different kinds of pills,Since poor can be defined by moreThan monetary ills.So may we be more sensitized,To hear and not ignore?To give a smile that shows we hearThe loud cry of the poor.

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What's Your Story?: A Devotion