At first as I answered her questions, I became a little nervous. Some of the details of my past are a bit difficult to share, especially with my daughter. But as I talked and she wrote, I started to realize that there doesn’t have to be shame, because the moments that I learned and grew from can help her learn and grow as well.

I was reading Hebrews 36 today, and that got me thinking about this idea that God uses the good and the bad parts of our story for His glory. 

 “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 
 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 
 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another”

Once we accept Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as the atonement for our sins, we are new creatures. Washed clean. Spotless and blameless in the eyes of the Lord. So we need to use the bumpy road that led us to Christ to show the way to others walking behind us. 

As my daughter continued to work on her speech, I encouraged her to find herself in my story. Because all of the little things that happened led to her. And what a beautiful illustration to realize that each step we take, good or bad leads us closer to Christ!

What is your story? Are you ashamed to tell it? 

Don’t be! God created you and loves you. And don’t let those valuable lessons you learned along the way be in vain. Tell your story. Let the hard times you lived through encourage someone who is still struggling. Let your pain comfort someone who is hurting. And let your joy bring happiness who someone who would appreciate a smile. 

Let your story plant the seeds. You never know, your story may be exactly what someone needs to hear to see Jesus for themselves ♥️