By Gina Caswell Kelly
I was listening to my preacher at a funeral recently. The stories he told of the deceased lady were great. There was so much life to her life. So much I did not even know about her. I was telling him later what a great job he had done. He said it was simple. She had written out her life stories and he was able to read and share from them. I thought how great that was. A life well lived and written down to share with the coming generations.
I have also written out my life story, or my “Faith Story” as a former pastor called it. I have it saved and I add to it regularly to keep it up to date and fresh. It contains wonderful stories of my salvation experience, of things my mom and dad told me, and tales of growing up the Preacher’s Kid. It also contains heartbreak and sin. It contains stories of which I am not very proud. It has stories of forgiveness and mercy. It has miracles, true miracles I have seen happen in my own life. My kids and my grandkids will not have to guess how very important my God has been in my life. (It is currently about 18 pages. It will not be read at my funeral!)
I preach to my Sunday school class all the time that we need to tell our children our stories. We need to write down those important moments in our lives when we saw God work. The Bible is great and a true blessing in our lives. It is our guidebook. Our source of comfort and strength. A true gift from God. Still, what our children also need to know is the “Gospel according to YOU!” The stories of what God has done in your life. Hearing your story of God doing something for you can be very life changing for your family and your friends.
Our history is so vital to who we are today. Even those stories of which we are not very proud played a part in making us who we are today. Are you telling your stories? Do your children have a clue about your history? They should. Trust me. You don’t know how much time you have left. Share your history with your family. Write down your Faith Story. What a legacy that will be for your children and grandchildren!
We need to be about sharing our story of a life lived for God with the next generation. The most important decision anyone will ever make is that to give their heart and soul to Jesus Christ. Your story could be the very thing that will lead that grandson or granddaughter to a life following God. Your Faith Story does make a difference!
