Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. Psalm 102:18
You have a story to tell. You have a story that someone needs to hear. 
It may be difficult to see, but your story is a gift to you and for you. It has shaped who you are and who you are becoming. It tells of where you’ve been and where you’re going. Your story is the very fabric of your existence on the planet. It is unique to you, for better or for worse. Everyone’s story is different. Like any good narrative, our stories include comedy and tragedy, situations of irony and suspense, seasons of sorrow and seasons of joy. Some of us would’ve preferred less tragedy and more comedy, less sorrow and more joy. Nevertheless, here we are: in the present moment of a story that is still being written.
For those of us who follow Jesus, our stories have been intricately woven into a grander, far more beautiful story. It’s a story that ends with ultimate joy. While our stories on their own can be intriguing, perhaps even inspiring, it is only when we see their purpose in the ultimate story of our God that they receive immense significance. Our stories are the threads that our God weaves together to create the tapestry of grace we call “redemption.” Redemption is the commonality all of our stories share. We all have a need for it.
Sin is the ultimate tragedy. Because of sin, our relationship with God is broken. This is the story of humanity. We are a people who were once inseparable from our Creator, but then tried to write our own story and lost everything we had. The beauty of the story is that since that moment, our God has been orchestrating the cosmic rescue of His people. Our story has a hero, and it isn’t us. Jesus came to us to mend the broken and save the lost. He came to deliver our salvation and has accomplished for us what we could not attain for ourselves. He is the hero of the grand story of redemption.
The astonishing thing about being a part of a grander story is that, despite how much sorrow or tragedy has saturated our individual stories, we can rest in knowing that our future is secure. Our hope is not in vain. Our longing for something better will be fulfilled. Our joy will be complete.
Hear these words from 19th century hymn writer, Fanny Crosby:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.   

This is my story…

In this life, our stories are our unique opportunity to proclaim the goodness of God to ourselves and to each other. Our stories are evidences of the grace of God in our lives. They are our unique piece of His story.
Here are three reasons why I would encourage you to share your story:
 

• Your past is someone else’s present.

 
One of my favorite songwriters affirms that “every saint has a past, but every sinner has a future.” Sharing your past experiences will serve to encourage someone who is walking where you once walked. Our experiences are the “souvenirs” of the grace that we collect as we walk through struggle and strife. A promise of coming out on the other side can mean the difference between hope and despair to someone who is at their lowest point. We call this “edification.” Edification is the building up of someone else. As Christians, we are called to it. Our stories can be tools that build others up, as there is no place too low that the grace of Christ cannot reach.
 

• Sharing your story is an act of worship.

 
Every week at Grace we gather to recount the grand story of redemption. We sing redemption. We hear redemption proclaimed. We partake in a holy sacrament that propels our redemption forward. Psalm 9, a psalm of praise, declares, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” Reflecting on and recounting our stories is an act of worship in that it stirs our heart’s affection for our Savior and Redeemer.
 

• Our God is a story-telling God, so we should be story-telling people.

 
Our Creator is crafting history to masterfully tell us of His eternal goodness and breathtaking glory. His story is etched in every new life,  in every life lived well, in every defeat, and in every victory. Every dark night of despair and every dawn of a new hope iss a brilliant odyssey of abundant grace. It is redemption, and it is ours.