What Becomes Part of the Story

Our lives are filled with moments, memories, and happenings.

I can pause right now, and easily list 100 remarkable moments in my life that I will never forget; moments that have shaped and moulded me, people that have inspired me, and memories that instantly bring a smile or giggle to my face. I can also list moments that have left me broken and overwhelmed for a time, instances where I had the opportunity to be stretched and pruned, and people that have challenged me and pointed out the blind-spots in me.

For a long while, I would catch myself dwelling on the tougher moments on my journey, thinking to myself "wow, I've really made some messes". There have been seasons where I have felt like a failure as a leader, like I was beyond repair, like my mess had just gotten too big for even God to want to deal with me.

How wrong I was.

Lately, there is one album on loop when I listen to music...an incredible recording called "The Undoing" by Steffany Gretzinger, one of the worship leaders at Bethel Church in Redding, California.

You can check it out at: http://bethelmusic.com/the-undoing/

One of my favourite songs on the album is called "Out of Hiding", and is a love song from the Father beckoning us to come close to Him. A line that I cannot get out of my heart and mouth is:

"And oh as you run, what hindered love, will only become part of the story".

What hindered love. The messy stretches and happenings that made me hide or distance myself from Him and others. The times where I felt broken beyond repair. The times when I chose to withdraw instead of leaning in. Those things have now all become part of the story.

You see, the restorative power of God has gotten ahold of me, and I have had enough encounters with the love of God that I now see the truth. Like the lyrics of Steffany's first verse,  I heard Him calling me to "come out of hiding/you're safe here with Me/there's no need to cover what I already see."

And now, every part of my journey - the highs and lows, the breakthroughs and the heartaches, are ALL a part of my story. The story of God's beautiful redemption and grace in my life.

What once hindered love, has now become part of the story.