My God Story

We attend a contemporary, non-denominational Christian church in Kernersville. The Summit is one of the larger churches in the area, and it is growing.

 

We love our church. <- That's an understatement.

Like any church, there are good things and some not so good things, but all in all, this is where our family fits. The Summit offers a variety of service times on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, but they do not have 'Sunday School' or any other regularly scheduled, formal opportunity for us adult people to get together, meet, socialize, and get to know one another.

(Babies, kids, and pre-teens are strongly encouraged to attend their structured, age appropriate settings that are held at the same time as the service. It's kind of like Sunday School for them, but better. At first, this protective mama bear wasn't too keen on leaving my kiddos with anyone I didn't know, but we have grown to love the staff that volunteers with them. Maybe someday I'll write up a whole blog post about the many reasons why we love not having our kids with us in church...but that's another day.)

One of the downsides to a large church -> you can often feel lost if you don't get involved in regular serving or a small group.

Although the process of becoming connected in a small group is somewhat awkward at first (hey, when is it ever easy to meet brand new people and share some of life's most intimate and emotional details??) but ultimately our experience with small groups has helped us to better communicate and share with others more about our relationship with Jesus.

One of the challenges presented to newly forming small groups is the task of sharing your God Story.

Basically, some leaders at our church came up with a 3-question formula to help everyone shape and create an easy dialogue for telling others about how they came to know Christ. From each of those 3 questions, you pick one word that best describes your answer.

1. What was your view of God when you were growing up?

2. What was the catalyst or most profound, heart-changing moment in your relationship with Jesus?

3. What is Jesus doing for you in your life now?

Once you can lockdown your own personal God Story and the three words that help you to transition from one question to the next, you should be able to tell your story to others, quickly and efficiently.

I tend to get a bit wordy, and I truly have a difficult time locking down 1 word for each question, but phrases are OK too.  Here is my feeble attempt at verbalizing my personal God Story.


1. Inconsistent.  My relationship with Jesus growing up was spotty, up and down, sometimes high, sometimes low, but very rarely ever passionate, motivated, or truly dedicated in every aspect. I went to a variety of different churches, was exposed to a plethora of different Christian customs and traditions, and in early high school, I had a very emotional and uplifting experience where I officially accepted Jesus as my savior and asked God into my heart. Unfortunately, my persistence in pursuing Christ quickly faded and I just got by with the occasional visit to a church or a desperate prayer.

2. (My answer to this question is 2-part) Parenting & Tragedy. I could write a novel about how much kids have changed my life, but for now I'll keep it simple by saying that the day God graced our house with the presence of a baby girl was the day that something just clicked for me. For the first time, I was able to grasp that sense of unconditional love and the unbreakable bond that I share with my child. Even though this feeling and connection is just a fraction of the love that God has for each of us, I gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for my Heavenly Father through His gift to me of being a parent.

I'm a firm believer that God uses tragedy and unexpected or even unwanted circumstances for a purpose. Even though we may not be able to see it immediately, our personal tragedy might help someone else avoid or overcome theirs. Our situation and ability to triumph in the face of struggle might be the inspiration that someone else needs to survive. Tragedy draws us closer to each other and closer to God. It encourages us to lean on Him, rely on Him, and be grateful to Him for all that we do have.

About one and a half years ago, my brother, Jeremy, committed suicide. After almost a decade of struggling with depression, addictions, and insecurities, his one of many repeated attempts to take his own life was successful. Despite living through this nightmare, I was reminded of so many blessings. The support and love from friends, family, and community was absolutely overwhelming. Jeremy's story has touched the lives of other people that were ashamed of their situation and afraid to seek help. Our grief has been shared with other families who are grieving a similar story. Did we choose to walk that part of the journey? Heck no. But along that very dark path, Jesus held our hands and kept whispering the promise that He would never. leave. our. sides. Through that tragedy, and even as I continue to grieve Jeremy's loss, I'm confident that God's plan is purposeful.

3. Comfort. God gives me comfort, relief, assurance, and peace. Even when I have no clue what tomorrow might bring, it is my relationship with Jesus that allows me the liberating freedom to worry less. Through financial strains, stress at work, unpredictable expenses, even more unpredictable family drama, and two toddlers that wear me slap out, I am confident that God will take care of us, no matter what.