Listening to Myself Talk

A power beyond reckoning lies in telling our own story. I had the strange sensation today of actually being able to listen to myself as I recounted an abbreviated version of my life story to someone. I had started my tale the day before in my classroom as part of an interview for some school publication but had to continue it today in the office of my interrogator. I had come to the part of my life where my son Jacob had been diagnosed with cancer when I began to hear myself.

Most of the time I ignore me when I talk; it’s just noise to me, but today the words found traction in my ears as I shared Jacob’s fight with cancer. It crashed in on my thick noggin that his story, my story were compelling testimonies of the grace of God. I listened to me tell about his resilient faith in Christ despite the terrible disappointment we all had when he first relapsed. I heard about the gracious kindness and patience he showed in the midst of difficulty and inconvenience. I heard me once again tell about his last words to me and his mother. He told us to “Be Strong”. Then he went to be with Jesus.

I wasn’t the only one listening today though. Another overheard the recounting of my story, his story. She was moved to tears and even moved to a sense of awe that I could even share so difficult a story. Then it occurred to me yet again that not only can I tell the story I must.

I have always known the story of my son Jacob had power for other people, but today I realized the power it has for me. That story is mine and no one can tell it like I can. No one can convey the joy and no one can convey the pain like I can. And no one can convey the grace that Christ poured out on me like I can.

My wife Heather has a different story. Many of the events are the same, but the telling must necessarily be different. That is her story and the power is great indeed. It is the power of a mother telling what a mother knows and feels. It is the story of the grace of Christ poured out on her and no one can tell it like she can.

We all have a story. And the story of all Christians is one of power. The power of grace poured out, running over us and spilling out into the lives around us. May we be faithful to tell our story.