A recent headline stood out to me, Good News!
When stories are told about kindness, compassion, courage – they help us connect with who we are becoming. We are wired to connect with stories and find ourselves in them.
Our volatile world is full of stories and they have tremendous power to shape our realities. I listened carefully as a journalist shared her story of struggling with fear and anxiety. The information she sorted through daily to develop stories seemed to stick to her and weigh her down with worry. She found a way of sorting things out at the end of the day by making a list of what was her thoughts/beliefs and what was someone else’s.
The stories we tell ourselves are most powerful. If we say to ourselves we are unlovable, we probably will be an unlovable person. Hope whispers through what God says about us. There are competing stories in the world today. We need to choose the stories we are telling ourselves. Interpreting our lives in light of what God says is Good News! I recently asked Him, what story are you telling in my life.
This is what He showed me:
I’m writing a story of redemption in Denise’s life so the world can see how much I love them. By all accounts she should be living on welfare, struggling to find the strength to exist each day and in a constant battle with depression because of how differently her life turned out than she imagined. The worst case would have been her death and far removed existence….but you see, I wanted to redeem things for her and make them better than she could ever imagine. She was pretty incredible in her strength, but it was Me I wanted people to see. So now, there’s a bit of a gap between what people see and understand about her but I will soon bridge that gap and give her words to communicate my redemptive power to make things good again. There is NOTHING she has done to deserve this. She didn’t work for it, she didn’t even pray. She simply lost her entire life and found it all once again in ME! When the words come, it will bring hope to people in the most desperate situations. They will find themselves too. I’m glad I made Denise. Even when she was suffering, I was there. Although very painful, I was weeding out the wrong words that would mislead people. The right ones are sown deep in her soul and they will soon flourish.
I’d love to hear the story God is telling in your life right now. My friends, in this historic time we can lose sight of the fact, we are HIStory in the making. At the end of the day, what’s your story?
Denise Dietz
Thank you for the invitation for hope! To ask and listen to hear what God is saying about me!!!
I’m writing a story of redemption in Terisa’s life. The things that “could have been” or “should have happened” were all schemes of the evil one. He and his evil ones have often been on the prowl seeking her to devour. BUT GOD who is rich in mercy has turned these things into GOOD. A kind of GOOD only GOD can make. Rom 8:28.
Thank you !!!!
Beautiful! I love HIStory in you, sweet Sister. Thank you for listening and sharing ♥️
Beautiful and Outstanding!! This story deserves a standing ovation!!👏And a Big Amen🙏
Denise, this is a powerful illustration of how intricate your conversations are with your LOVE. You, my friend, have the ability to take words and turn them into watercolors with divine hues of beauty. Your heart shines through with immense grace and thankfulness. You have defied the odds stacked against you, and now carry the perennial seed of God’s miraculous hope…all because you allowed Him to redeem your story. I often think where I would be and I weep. I have been rescued from so much. Love you my creative friend.
This is just beautiful!!! Thank you!!
God has for sure rescued me from my self and the distorted thinking I once had, due to that distortion I made some not so good choices believing that’s what I deserved. Thank you My sweet Lord for opening my eyes and mind everyday a little more! 🙌🏽
Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful words of hope! Such a wonderful reminder us of what only He can do, to what appears to be a lifeless piece of clay. I’m so thankful that He continues to mold me each and everyday into the daughter He has called me to be.