TELLING YOUR STORY
by Eric Elder
The Ranch
Last year, for the first time in my life, I decided to sit down and write out my full story–the story of how I came to put my faith in Christ and what’s changed in my life since I took that momentous step.
I wrote the story under a pen name because, even though I had told it many times, I had never shared the details in such a personal way. I wasn’t sure if I would publish it at all, and I didn’t want anyone to know I had written it in case I decided against publishing it when I was done.
But by the time I got to the ending, I knew that this was a story that had to be told, with all its ugly bits and happy bits and funny bits intact. I offered the book to several publishers, many of whom were initially interested, but none of whom would eventually publish it, saying it was too secular for the Christian market, and too Christian for the secular market.
So I published it myself. Within the first day, it went to #10 on Amazon’s best seller list in the category where stories like mine are posted! Hallelujah! (I would still love for a publisher to pick up the book and take it to places I could never take it on my own, but in the mean time, I’ll just keep sharing it with as many people as I can!)
After I began sharing my story in this way, other people said they were touched by it and asked if I could help them tell their stories about how God had worked in their lives. I said I’d be glad to help.
So this year, I’ve prayed about and committed to helping five other people tell their stories, two of whom have just finished their first drafts. And what incredible stories they are! It’s amazing to see what comes out when people are given the freedom to tell their stories, holding nothing back, and to see how interesting, unique, and genuinely intriguing each story is. As a friend told me when I was writing my story:
“Everyone has a million dollar book inside of them. They just have to tell their own story–but they have to be brutally honest when they tell it.”
I’m looking forward to sharing my friends’ stories with you when they’re finished. One is by a professional model who came to Christ to help her deal with the ugliness she still felt inside. Another is by a woman whose husband went through a horrendous health crisis, sending my friend back to the foot of the cross daily. While the details of each story are different, the theme is the same: God has walked with them through it all.
Such stories are endless. As the apostle John said after writing down his story:
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).
Maybe you’ve considered writing down your story. Maybe you’ve already started. Maybe you’ve wanted to tell your story, but you’re afraid of what others might think about you when you do. But as author and pastor Rick Warren says:
“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.”
Can I encourage you today to tell your story? Write it down, pass it around, and let others see what Christ has done in your life!
I, for one, am fascinated by stories of faith to see how God has worked in other people’s lives. In fact, that’s why I love reading the Bible so much. It’s filled with stories of real people, who have lived real lives, and who have interacted with the real and living God.
I’m thankful that others have taken the time to write down their stories so I can learn from them. If you’ve been encouraged by hearing what God has done for others, think how others would be encouraged to hear what God has done for you.
What’s your story? Maybe it’s time to tell it.
Will you pray with me?
Father, thank You for walking with us through the stories of our lives. Help us to be willing and eager and ready to tell our stories with others who desperately need to hear the words of hope that we can give them, hope that You will be there for them every step of the way as they live out their own stories. Use our words to touch people in a way that no one else could ever touch them. And as we share, may Your name be magnified, glorified, and honored all along the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. You can now listen to my story in audio! You can also still get a copy of the paperback from our ministry for a donation of any size, or order the paperback or Kindle editions directly from Amazon at the links below. (Please note that my book is for mature readers only, as it describes, in a tasteful yet emotional way, the story of how I went into homosexuality and came out of it through the love of Christ and the love of my friends, one of whom eventually became my wife. It’s called, appropriately, Fifty Shades of Grace, and is written under my pen name, Nicholas Deere.)
- Click here to get the paperback from our website for a donation of any size
- Click here to get the paperback from Amazon
- Click here to get the Kindle version from Amazon
- Click here to get the Audio version from Audible
- Click here to get the Audio version from iTunes
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