A Light for My Path

Psalm 107:2 says: “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.”

We all have a story to tell. If you’re anywhere near my age, you’ve had some adventures, some tragedies, some comedies, some romances, some horrors, and some thrillers. Some of your stories might be reserved for certain audiences only. Also, if you’re like me, you might start out by saying, “have I told you this story before?”. And you proceed to tell it even if the listeners indicate that, yes, they’ve heard it perhaps several times.

Still, if it’s a funny story it’s always worth hearing again and getting a laugh. If there’s a lesson in it, you can almost always find a young audience to share it with for the first time. Most importantly, if it’s a story of redemption, you can’t tell that story often enough.

Redemption stories often have elements of tragedy and even horror. Some folks wander far away from God, and they see or do some pretty awful things along the way. They may reach a point where they believe they are unforgiveable. That there’s no use in even trying to get better. But there’s no pit too deep for God’s hand to reach.

Some of us have experienced a tragedy that shakes us to the core. That tests our faith. That makes us wonder if there’s really a God at all. And, if there is, He’s obviously not listening, so why bother talking to Him at all?

God often uses emissaries – go betweens – to lead us back to Him. People who are willing to listen to our stories without passing judgment. People who share their stories with us. How they overcame hardship, sorrow, unbelief. Not pushing or pulling us back to God. But, walking with us, talking and listening, until we look up and realize God’s still here. He has been all the time.

By the time this publishes, I will have attended a retreat with several other bereaved mothers. The host and leader lost a son ten years ago. She has led an online group for grieving parents since that time and has shared her story through her website and Facebook page. She’s recently expanded her grief support ministry to hosting in-person groups and multi-day retreats. I am privileged and blessed to be attending her first retreat. I’ve considered her to be a friend for over five years now and will finally be meeting her in person. She is most definitely an emissary.

The mothers there will all tell our personal loss stories. I expect we will share other aspects of our lives, as well. Especially the stories of our wrestling with God over His willingness to allow our children to leave this earth before us. I know I’ll learn a lot from these ladies. I know this time of retreat will be redeeming.

I’m pretty sure I’ll have some good stories to tell when I get home.

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Laura