Stories are powerful.
Yesterday I interviewed a lady for a new book. Incredible stories of lives changed in Kenya and Pakistan, all because she stepped out in faith that
God would meet her needs as she met the needs of others.
Today I read stories from the Mission24 team that has just come
back from Uganda and Rwanda. Stories of healing and of lives transformed.
I serve as a trustee, helping an organisation to change
lives in Eswatini. In one location, over 400 children have been rescued and
given a hope and a future. My youngest daughter worked there and tells stories
of horror changed to stories of hope.
I work with friends in India, helping rescue girls from
prostitution and human trafficking. Every smile tells a story of a life
changed.
I'm in awe of the wonderful people at The Wall, compiling a million stories of answered prayer.
And as Chair of the Leprosy Mission, I see incredible
stories of people who overcome the most severe discrimination, with love and forgiveness
for those who shunned them.
Jesus told stories all the time. The ultimate storyteller,
He wove them into his teaching – and lives were changed as a result.
How about your story? If you’re reading this as someone with
a Christian faith, do you tell your own story to your friends and family? It’s
the most effective way of sharing your faith. People can argue over theology
but they can’t contradict your personal narrative.
Why not prepare your own story? Put it on paper. Read it
back to yourself; see how it sounds. Rehearse it so that it’s there when you
need it, and you can share it at a moment’s notice. Have a long version and a
short version. Be ready to tell someone how Jesus has changed your life and
what He has done. Put in illustrations from your own life – whatever your
story, whether it is dramatic or seemingly ordinary, it will tell others in a
compelling way that Jesus is alive today.
