Finding Your
Story in God’s Story
When I am perusing through a book
store often what first catches my attention is the cover of a book or the
title. If it doesn't capture my imagination I put it back and don’t buy it. That methodology doesn't always work because
I have purchased some books that weren't very good. As more and more books move
to electronic formats, like Kindle, Nook, Logos or Vyrso, where there is no
cover to judge the book by I have to rely on other methods to determine if I
want to purchase the book. Often I
decide to read books from authors I’ve liked or I listen to the recommendations
from friends or a family member.
One day my Aunt Ethel handed me a
book written by a civil war solider, actually an officer. I looked at the book it wasn’t about history
or sports as I simply judged this book by its cover. You, too might have passed
on this book. Its title is Descendants
of Christian and Elizabeth (Oliver) Bosbyshell. There were no pictures, no
faces on the front cover, the title was faded and barely legible. The cover was dark blue. The
back cover had nothing on it either. It written by someone I had never heard of
before, Oliver Bosbyshell who was a retired Major in U. S. Army.
The irony is that this bland
looking book is now a treasured gift. I become
enthralled as soon as I started glancing through its pages.
My attention was captured when I
saw the names of people dear to me, Carlton Wadsworth Wilson and Magdalene
Hoffman—my deceased grandparents, Joseph Wadsworth Wilson and Emma Krusen my
deceased great grandparents. It included Ethel May Wilson—my aunt, Carlton
Russell Wilson—my Father and Carlton Wadsworth Wilson II, my uncle, who passed
away as an infant.
This is not just any book; this is
a book about my family heritage. The
stories that these names tell would probably not be of any interest to you, but
they are to me. That’s what happens when
you hear part of your story. Something
that seems lifeless comes to life.
Something that looks dull becomes dynamite, firing up your heart and
igniting your imagination. You are
reminded that you are part of something bigger than you are, that began before
you and will continue on after you.
That is why God wants you to know
his story. It’s found in another book.
He wants to take you into his house where He has framed photos of your
ancestors––folks you may not know––lining the walls of his house.
Stories of a family patriarch named
Abraham whose faith was as great as any.
A matriarch named Ruth with courage that would make the most hardened
warrior proud. Stories about a stubborn
Jonah and his improbable fish tale, to the impetuous Peter and his big mouth, to
persistent Paul and his adventures in church planting.
Yet who He wants most of all for
you to meet in His story is His son. He desires for you to look long into the
eyes of Jesus Christ and hear His claims that what He began in the first
chapter of creation He will realize at the last chapter of the New Creation, where
a perfect people can live in a perfect place with their perfect Lord.
I invite you to read His story so
that you can discover your story inside God’s great story. Beginning January 25
the journey to know God’s story will start.
Get
involved in The Story of God. It will forever transform your life and your
family’s life. Every day God is seeking to guide you, forming sentences that
flow into paragraphs that over time write the story of your life––a life
committed to knowing him better.
Will you choose today
to take your life story and make it a part of the Big Story of what God is
doing on earth?
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