It’s been a long time since I’ve published on this blog. Between being a wife, raising a special needs toddler, trying to take care of myself, and being a nurse leader during a worldwide pandemic, life has just been busy. For a year now, I’ve felt a tugging in my heart to get back to blogging on a regular basis. I’ve ignored it and made excuses why I didn’t have time for it.
Then I read Psalm 145:3-7: “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise, his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” In these verses, I was reminded we are called to tell our stories. We are supposed to share our life experiences with each other. It’s one of the ways God reveals Himself to others. There is power in sharing what God has done in your life. Many times it’s how future generations learn and are blessed by our suffering. At the start of this year, I committed to reading through the entire Bible over the course of 2022. I’m using The Bible Recap reading plan and podcast, and it has been the easiest, most enjoyable reading plan I’ve used. But it does include the Old Testament, which honestly has never been my favorite part of the Bible to study. I’m committed to the reading plan though and I am over halfway through the Old Testament. I share this because there are so many examples in the Old Testament where God used an event to bless or remind future generations of His Mighty Acts, Glorious Splendor, Power, or Great Deeds. Exodus 13:1-16 gives an example of telling the firstborn sons of what the LORD did by rescuing the Israelites from Egypt. In Exodus 13:14 it says, “In days to come, when your son asks, “What does this mean?” say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, enduring the frogs, grasshoppers and other plagues alongside their slave master Egyptians, I wonder if they gave any consideration to how God would use those events to bring freedom. When the city woke up to the death of all the firstborns except those with blood over their doors, I imagine the scene was horrific. Can you imagine the wailing and sorrow through the city? I imagine those experiences were painful memories. I wonder if these were stories they wanted to share, or were they painful memories tucked away deep inside their souls? In Romans 8:28 we learn, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” However, not everything that happens today serves a purpose for good TODAY. Sometimes we go through things that serve a purpose in the future; sometimes for generations to come. And yet in order for that purpose to be filled, we have to tell our stories. What is your story? What has God brought you through in life so that you may be a blessing to someone else? A painful divorce. Financial hardship. An abusive relationship. A time of suffering. A time of loss. A painful experience. Go tell your story. There is not a lack of painful experiences in this world; people are suffering every single day. But there are ways to ensure that suffering is not in vain. Tell your story. I’m re-committing to this blog to tell my story. And my prayer is that through my suffering and my joy, that others will see God’s love and faithfulness through me. God, life and a story, Ashley Lucille Note: The opinions and feelings expressed in this blog are solely that of the author and does not in any way reflect the opinions of or represent any employer, organization or academic affiliation to whom the author may be associated with currently or in the past.
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Ashley LucilleJust a few reflections about everything God is teaching me in this life...a journey deeper into His purpose for my life. Categories |