Find Your Voice and Tell Your Story
Tell us a story, Mama.
My kids often requested to hear a story when they were little. Sometimes from a storybook just waiting for us to get lost in the pages of a narrative.
They enjoyed everything from classic tales of fictional characters to Bible stories about real people and about Jesus.
But some of my son and daughter’s favorite stories came from my own childhood. True accounts of my favorite activities, my pets and their names, and what I did to get in trouble and details of my punishment—just to name a few.
As a lover of both the written and spoken word, I’ve always seemed to realize the power of story.
Yet, it took me a bit longer to realize that I have a unique voice and story to share with others, especially my God story.
And so do you, friend.
Look at Psalm 107:2 in the NIV, “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe” (emphasis added).
Here are three things to consider as you find your voice to tell your story.
Find Your Voice: Reflect on your life up to this point.
When we look over the chapters of our lives, there are highlights and lowlights and things we’d rather not remember. But we can see it all as something God uses to grow us into His image, help others, and for His glory.
God uses everything in our story, highlights and lowlights, to grow us into His image, help others, and for His glory. #tellyourstory Share on XReflect and pray: Lord, take the ashes from my life and make them into beauty as only You can. Take my rubble and broken places and rebuild them in Your name. Take the highlights and use them to show others how You are the highlight and joy of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Find Your Voice: Recount what God has done in your life.
You know those biblical accounts of miracles for God’s people? God has done them for us.
He not only moved mountains then, He has moved physical, financial, and spiritual mountains in our lives with no other explanation except, “But God.” The Lord has parted seas in our lives when there was no other way around the difficult issue we faced.
God moved physical, financial, and spiritual mountains in our lives with no other explanation except, “But God.” And He parted seas in our lives when there was no other way around the difficult issue we faced. #tellyourstory Share on X
There was also manna from heaven (provision), healings, His presence, and His faithful promises. And He’ll do them again and again! Nothing is happenstance, it’s God!
Recount and pray: God, You are great and mighty and You do great things. You part seas and move mountains and send provision and work behind the scenes on my behalf. Even when I can’t see what You’re doing, help me realize how Your footprints and fingerprints are evident in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Find Your Voice: Remember God uses your story within His-story.
We became part of God’s story of creation when He formed us uniquely in our mother’s womb. God’s story of redemption was meant for every one of us when He sent His Son to take our place.
And the Heavenly Father’s love, grace, mercy, hope, and goodness were written into our story once we were adopted into the family of God as one of His children.
Remember and pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for thinking of me before the world began. And before I was…You were. Help me to see myself as Your masterpiece with a story to share about the Master. Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Let my story tell Your bigger story of redemption and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Heavenly Father, help me to see myself as Your masterpiece with a story to share about the Master. Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Let my story tell Your bigger story of redemption and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.… Share on XTell Your Story
Reflect, recount, and remember your story is part of God’s bigger story.
When you find your voice to tell your story, you will not only see God’s goodness and mercy written on every page, but you will also see how He uses your life and experiences for His glory and to help others.
Read more about my story and watch a short storyline video.
Featured photos by my husband filming for our YouTube channel, Friday’s Forever.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Tell His Story/Recharge Wednesday/Let’s Have Coffee/Tune in Thursday/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected/Candidly Christian and Faith On Fire.
© 2021 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Yes: “remember your story is part of God’s bigger story.”
Everything falls into place when I remember that God sees a much bigger picture!
Ava, I heard Bill and Anabell Gilliam describe in a Bible study how God has a heliopter view. He sees the timeline of our lives from start to finish and everything in between. While we only see part of the past and the hear and now.
While I think my “redemption story” is most strong when shared with those folks who knew me back when, I have come to realize that sharing my story with new folks is both scarier and even more rewarding. What I’m finding is that when I live my story of “Imperfect, but Redeemed and Working on It”, I find it resonates with people who are experiencing some of the same pain, fear, un certainty, and doubt that I did before fully surrendering to Christ. God uses our journeys to help others in there’s. What a blessing that it! Love this post Ms. Karen. Thank you ma’am.
Couldn’t have said it better, J.D. We are all imperfect, but redeemed. Sharing my story not only helps others, but does a work in my own heart. There is just such power in story. Period.
I love this encouraging post and these great pictures of you.
Thank you, Lauren. And I always appreciate reading parts and pieces of your story on your blog.
Thank you for this encouragement, Karen. When I write, I am always looking to tell a story of something that has not been told before. It’s harder with apologetics. I mean, there are literally a billion blogs and books out there, right? But no one of them tell my story or tell your story. We each have unique voices to share to this world, and so we should find ways of telling our stories to the glory of God.
So true, Lisa. No one can duplicate our story or even share it just like we share it. Because while our stories may be similar to others, our story is still unique and personal to us. I pray we always remember, “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.” Psalm 107:2 (NIV)
I wish more people would understand the power of their story and get comfortable sharing it with others. God has done amazing things in everyone’s life and that is worth celebrating and praising Him, the author of our stories. Great post Karen.
Yvonne, He is the author of our stories. So thankful He writes and rewrites them for His glory and purposes!
Sharing our story can help others draw closer to God. Amen. Our story is part of God’s bigger story.
Melissa, don’t you just find comfort that our story is part of a grand and bigger story?! God’s!
I like to say that each one of us has a story to tell, and all our stories weave beautifully with that of the Master Storyteller – our amazing God.
Blessings, Karen!
I like that, Martha, “all our stories weave beautifully with that of the Master Storyteller.”
Karen, great encouragement here. For years I kept my story a “secret” feeling that the parts I deemed “ugly” could never be used by God. But of course that was just a lie; for God uses broken vessels too, in fact I think we are all broken in some way. Praise God He redeems every aspect of our past for His glory. We can trust Him as the Divine Author writing a story He will use to bring many to Him.
Donna, I did the same thing, kept my story secret like a diary no one should know or would care to know that “Once upon a time lived a girl….” It is a lie from the enemy to keep our story within us and never let it out for the world to hear all about our God. We are broken and thankful the Lord heals the broken hearted. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and adding such value to the conversation.
This is a great reminder of the true and factual reality — all of us have a story to tell about how God has worked in our lives, how he is still working in our lives, and how he has brought us through both good times and bad. So many people have urged me to write my story, and your words were yet another urging. But this, as you shared, is the most compelling truth: “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe” (Psalm 102:7 NIV). Thank you for this, Karen.
Melinda, perhaps this is a confirmation to write your story with the potential to reach a greater amount of people. Like you, my favorite thing is my own redemption story, to tell others what God has done and continues to do…great and mighty things!
Karen, I love how God tells His story through us. And, as He works in our lives, He writes the stories of our lives. There is something powerful when we tell others our story, isn’t there? May we be fearless in sharing our stories with others!
I love that too, Jeanne. Sharing our story often brings healing to our hearts and souls, but definitely helps others as the Lord uses it for those who come after us or are brought into our path for a reason!
That old hymn is coming to mind…”I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love.” I love hearing how God brought people to Himself.
Barbara, you are great at reminding us of hymns and songs. I remember this hymn. “Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.” Psalm 102:7 NIV
Karen, what an inspiring post! All of my life is part of God’s big story of redemption. I pray that I can reflect upon the hills and valleys with truth and grace, through the eyes of my Savior, knowing that He is working things out for my good and His glory. I pray that He will be able to use my story to encourage others, as you have encouraged me!
Thank you, Melissa. And, yes, “He is working things out for my good and His glory.” Lord, let our story tell Your bigger story of redemption and love as we see your goodness and mercy in the chapters of our lives.
Melissa, He certainly is using you and your story. Not only on your blog, but across social media. Your posts and writings speak to my heart so many times, as they do others. When we look over the chapters of our lives, there are highlights and lowlights and things we’d rather not remember. But we can see it all as something God uses to grow us into His image, help others, and for His glory.
I loved this post as it brings hope to us all. Every part of our story will have a purpose in His greater story. May I leave it all at His feet to use as He decides. Thank you, Karen.
“As He decides.” That’s a good word, Joanne. So many times I forget that. Heavenly Father, thank You for thinking of me before the world began. And before I was…You were. Help me to see myself as Your masterpiece with a story to share about the Master. Thank You for adopting me into Your family. Let my story tell Your bigger story of redemption and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I actually struggle with the idea that my story has relevance to others, and writing has been an open window into that stuffy, closes up room!
I like how you said that, Michele. Writing is therapy for me…same as journaling. It helps me process what happens and the Lord uses it to bring healing power to my own soul with spiritual lessons. Helping others is the bonus!
This is so encouraging Karen. Writing isn’t something that has come easy for me, and I still don’t fully understand why God wants me to do, But God is good and that is enough for me. Many Thanks
Glad this spoke to you, Debra Jean. God’s goodness is enough for all of us. His callings on our lives will make a difference. Keep writing friend, and telling your story. You and the Lord are in this together.
Hallelujah and Amen Sister in Jesus-Yeshua Christ-Messiah!! This is so encouraging of you Karen!!
( Psalms 119:105 KJV ) “Thy WORD is a LAMP unto my feet and a LIGHT unto my Path.”!!
GOD BLESS ALL my Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus-Yeshua and my Messianic Jewish Sisters and Brothers in Christ-Messiah Jesus-Yeshua and my Devout Jewish Sisters and Brothers and Your Families and Friends!!
Each post takes almost me four hours too do this, because I am disabled, so GOD BLESS YE ALL in Jesus-Yeshua Christ-Messiah!!
I Love ❤ you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua Christ, because HE LOVED EVERYONE FIRST!! Praise Jesus-Yeshua Christ for Today and Everyday!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL✝️!!
Love ❤ Always and Shalom, YSIC \o/
Kristi Ann
Love your story, Kristi Ann. God is using you to reach others and it shows. You know those biblical accounts of miracles for God’s people? God has done them for us.
He not only moved mountains then, He has moved physical, financial, and spiritual mountains in our lives with no other explanation except, “But God.” The Lord has parted seas in our lives when there was no other way around the difficult issue we faced.
Our stories show God’s work in our lives.Our stories shine light for others. Great post, Karen!
They do! They show the great and mighty things God has done and continues to do!
Such truth here! Sometimes we think our story is too “bad” or even too “boring” to share, but we aren’t called to make that decision (about whether it’s good enough or will resonate). God will ensure it lands in the right ears.
Oh, yes, Jessica. I used to think both of these false concepts. First, that my childhood and brokenness was not something I should share but keep secret in a diary. Or, that the Lord didn’t saved me from some horrible addiction and my testimony wasn’t exciting enough of a before and after Christ to be interesting. How wrong I was on both accounts. I’ve been redeemed! That’s the best part!
Beautiful tips and encouragements for telling our story, Karen! I love your enthusiasm for sharing your faith! You inspire me!
Oh, how sweet, Beth. I hope to share my redemption story to all who will listen. God bless!
[…] Defining who you are pairs well with last week’s post, Find Your Voice and Tell Your Story. […]