Share Your Story

 Heart to Heart from the Housewrights

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” - John 4:39-42 (NLT)

Some people are natural storytellers. They can make you laugh, cry, think, forget, and hope all at the same time. 

We often forget how important a story can be. For those of us who love to read - it’s because we love a good story. But, what’s involved in a good story? 

Stories may differ in one way or another, yet there are commonalities which apply in every scenario. You must have at least one character, a plot, want and need, conflict and resolution, and some sort of structure. At least that’s what we’ve been taught…

But, there is something missing from the above list. 

Subject.

In other words, what is the story about?

That really is the driving force in what we read. What is the story about?

And there are no more interesting stories than those about you.  You know, your story.

As a Christian, however, your story can truly only be told through the life of Jesus Christ. After all, he is the Subject, or the Foundation, for every one of our stories.

When we share the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are telling a story that has been told and retold hundreds of millions of times over the last two millennia.  Each of us, however, in our own unique way, makes it personal. 

When we tell the story of Jesus, we are telling how the story of Jesus affected us. What it meant to us. What it means to us. And, what it can mean for the person who hears it.

Most people (Christians) think that evangelizing is beyond them. It’s for the pastor. It’s for the missionary. It’s for those who have had training.  “It’s not for me.”

But nothing could be further from the truth. You need to tell your story. 

One word of caution, however. Don’t let your story be about you. 

“Huh?” you ask?

Simple - your story is His story. Tell the “great things he has done.”

After all, 

• 
  

• We’ve a story to tell to the nations, that shall turn their hearts to the right,
  A story of truth and mercy, a story of peace and light, a story of peace and light.

• We’ve a song to be sung to the nations, that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
  A song that shall conquer evil and shatter the spear and sword, and shatter the spear and sword.

• We’ve a message to give to the nations, that the Lord who reigns up above
  Has sent us His Son to save us and show us that God is love, and show us that God is love.

• We’ve a Savior to show to the nations, Who the path of sorrow has trod,
  That all of the world’s great peoples might come to the truth of God, might come to the truth of God.
  For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright;
  And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth, the kingdom of love and light.

The world is listening…watching…waiting. Will you share your story?

Texas, Twinkies and Caring for Strangers

 

09-21-2021

Deuteronomy 10: 19 - You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:34 - The alien who resides with you shall be as a citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Matthew 25:40 - ...as you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me.

Hebrews 13: 1 - Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Matthew 25: 35 - I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

Romans 12:13 - Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

    In recent news we have sadly witnessed the gut-wrenching views of what is occurring down in Del Rio, Texas. Thousands of migrants - mainly from Haiti - have made their way to a bridge/overpass and have begun camping out there.

    The great majority are not running past the Border Patrol agents but rather are hunkering down, cutting up tall wild plants and making thatch huts to keep from suffering under the oppressive 100 degree weather. Little to no fresh water is available. The port-a-potties are overflowing and the smell is nauseating. People who have diabetes and heart conditions are in grave danger.

    “You turn the corner, and then you start to see up here, right, this sea of people just going in two directions,” said Jon Anfinsen, the National Border Patrol Council’s president of the Del Rio region. “You walk through here, and it really feels like another country.”

    Now, we are not here to argue pro or con on immigration. We are not here to debate public policy. We are not here to reflect on a nation’s responsibility (or lack thereof) in regards to foreign peoples seeking sanctuary. We leave that to the politically erudite.

    What we are here to look at is the responsibility of the believer in God when it comes to caring for the stranger. And scripture is not ambiguous when it comes to that.

    Our texts from above - just a very select few - remind us (command us) to love the stranger. We are to welcome them and treat them as if they are citizens of our land. In other words, even as we were strangers and were welcomed by the Native Americans when we first came to the New Country, so we are to welcome and help the new migrants who come to our shores for freedom and a new life.

    It is Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 that should give us the most pause. Whatever we do for someone else we have done for him. Those are sobering words. Have you ever considered something nice you did for someone else to be just the same as if you had done it for Jesus? Maybe some of us have. Or, at the very least, we have kept his commandment to love one another.

    More to the point, however, is the antithesis to the positive understanding of Jesus’ statement. To put it another way: When we do something bad to another person it’s just as if we had done it to Jesus. Ouch. Let that sink in for a few minutes.

    We are not certain as to what the answer is to the border crisis - if there truly is an answer. One yells, “Send them all back!” Another cries, “Let them all in!”

    Right now there are more than 14,000 human beings located beneath a bridge in hot Val Verde county in Southwest Texas: Women. Children. Elderly. Strong young men. Hopeful young women. Each person who shows up is given a ticket - much like you would be given to ride something at the County Fair. Randomly throughout the day, an agent will call 50 ticket numbers. The ticket-holders can board a white coach bus to a federal processing facility. That’s it. Nothing else.

    And who knows what is next. All we can do is welcome the strangers in our lives as Christ welcomed us into his kingdom. Look after one another. Be kind. Love.

    I’m (Steve) reminded of a moment in July when they were redoing our street. There were about seven people sitting on our sidewalk in the heat of the day. Male, female, red, yellow, black, white and brown. The fresh asphalt was steaming. The sweat was pouring. We didn’t know these people from “Adam’s house cat.” Missy marches right into the house, loads my arms with cold water and Twinkies (DO NOT TOUCH MY TWINKIES!) and sends me out to a group of strangers, sitting on my sidewalk, leaning on my lawn - and give them the water and Twinkies.

    Needless to say, they were more than glad to take the offerings from my hands. Smiles were shared. Thank you’s were uttered several times. And the stranger was cared for.

    Who’s gonna get your Twinkies today?

   Steve and Missy