I was driving to work the other day and (one of) my favorite songs came on the radio, so I turned the volume way up –
If I told you my story…If I should speak, then let it be of the grace that is greater than all my sin; of when justice was served and where mercy wins; of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in; Oh, to tell you my story is to tell of Him!
As each lyric was booming through my speakers, I sang at the top of my lungs (car karaoke is a favorite of mine), my hands are lifted, and I am oblivious to the crazy looks that I know are coming from drivers in the lanes next to me. Then something happened, I am moved as the profundity of the words fall on me. My heart began to race and flashes of My Story began to play on the big screen of my mind. The feature presentation is my testimony; you know, the secrets of old, things done in ignorance and rebellion that I lied about to myself and others. This story is not pretty! Yet, it continues and shows when I swept things under the rug, because failure and shame forbade me to speak of the actions filled with the recanted segments of the times, including my distance from Christ before acceptance and surrender changed me.
My commute and the song continued –
If I told you my story…You would hear Hope…You would hear Love…You would hear Life…You would hear Victory…You would hear Freedom…
A shift in emotion occurred, as I reveled in this magnitude of truth because this, too, is (the flip side of) My Story! I recalled what it says in Luke 8:39 (Amp) – Return to your home, and recount [the story] of how many and great things God has done for you. And [the man] departed, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
Recently at Women’s Evening, Jodi Kingston transparently shared her story and encouraged women, reminding us that we each have a testimony to be told and to be used for the good of others.
The two messages were clear and ignited a spark deep within me to full flame, motivated by thoughts of how far God has brought me; also, that He’s still not done with me yet. I am comforted to know that I can tell my story, share my testimony, with confidence – and so can you – because it has nothing to do with self; rather, it has everything to do with God and His glory!
The song was coming to an end, timely with reaching my destination, and I returned to doing car karaoke with the final words, feeling energized, humbled and oh so grateful…
This is my story, this is my song – Praising my Savior all the day long…Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him!
Mary Montoya
Love the phrase…the flip side of my story!
I love the picture of you singing at the top of your lungs in the car! Worship is such a great vehicle for God to move in.
“…Then something happened…” and all the words that follow in that paragraph – BAM! What a perfect expression of the process so many of us go through. (Also, a very impressive use of the word “profundity!”) 😉 Faith leads to testimony. Praise God for his Grace on us.
Mary, what a wonderful post! I can so picture you doing car karaoke, celebrating the goodness of the Lord! Thanks for sharing.
What a great post!
There is so much I can relate to and be encouraged by in this post.
As you know, I’m currently at a time in my (lifelong) journey as a follower of Jesus where I feel confident enough to begin to share my testimony with others. This has most certainly come in God’s perfect timing and leaves me feeling inspired.
Thank you for sharing!!!
I can so see you singing and praising Him! I love it! Amen to sharing your testimony!
So much that I can relate to. Thanks for sharing! God is good and meets us where we are.