A Kitchen Table Conversation

Sitting around her kitchen table with dried tears on my cheeks, I listened intently to my friend’s mother tell about how a demonic spirit manifested in her home one night and hovered by her bed. Paralyzed by fear, she whispered the name of Jesus and the evil spirit left immediately. As a freshman in college searching for meaning and beginning to hear more about Jesus Christ, my eyes opened to the spiritual realm. I felt amazement at the presence of good and evil. And also hope that the God I had been hearing about truly did exist. My friend’s mom shared a few more stories of the Lord’s activity in her life.

Several hours prior to the kitchen table interaction, I came face-to-face with pain and confusion through reminders of unresolved hurts in my life. On this particular evening I “happened” to be meeting my high school friend to go out for fun and yet I drove up in tears. As I shared my sadness, she mentioned her mother had bought me a Bible and she had it in the car to pass on to me.

Having confided in my friend earlier in the year about my search for faith, she inevitably told her mom who couldn’t contain her excitement since she had been praying for me. Sensing God’s hand upon the gift of the Bible in my dark hour I mentioned my desire to know God and that’s what led to an invitation to the kitchen table. Her mother’s stories cemented the gospel in my soul, causing my heart to move toward the One who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Pet. 2:9).

The power of a story.

The power to ponder. The power to personalize. The power to paint pictures.

The power to ponder. Sharing a story opens the door to perspective on how to think about life, faith, and relationships.

The power to personalize. Offering vulnerability about a chapter in my life and yours helps others see the reality of Jesus Christ; as is said and certainly true, no one can dispute what you’ve experienced.

The power to paint pictures. Explaining how faith makes a difference in dealing with the questions, hardships and grief which accompany life’s circumstances at some point creates an image of the grand story of God’s plan to restore and redeem.

As you and I enter 2016 I pray we draw strength from the Spirit of God as we hear stories from precious sisters in Christ. I also pray we are intentional about making the most of an opportunity to leave a mark in another person’s story.  One way to do so is by passing on a story on the site to a friend, coworker, or family member who may be encountering a hope or difficulty. I’d like to introduce you to a few of the faith filled women who pour out their stories below.

Feeling unprotected and mistreated. Elise’s Story

Forgiving a loved one. Nina’s Story

Encountering shattered dreams. Angie’s Story

Finding faith. Mona’s Story

Facing betrayal. Lincee’s Story

Living with unexpected loss. Kathryn’s Story

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