Stories - Tony Manley

 “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:10

“…let us run the race marked out for us.”  Heb. 12:1

I love a good life story.  The fairy tale of “and they lived happily ever after.  The End.”  I love the movie, Steel Magnolias - the camaraderie of these women who know the good, bad, and ugly of each other’s lives, the years of friendship, and the great dialogue/writing in the movie!  I say all of this because hearing, watching, or reading someone else’s story is one of my absolute favorite pastimes.  I am amazed and drawn to a life that has experienced the joy of being raised in a Christian home, receiving the gift of salvation at a young age, going to church all their life, finding their Christian prince charming, having children – who in turn start the cycle all over and get to enjoy the journey without baggage – I love these stories!!  I also love stories – like mine- that are messy and have mistakes made throughout them.  Yet, God graciously and faithfully attends to those life stories by transforming “ashes into beauty.”  (Isaiah)

I have just gulped down two books about two mothers’ lives that are on my heart.  Dancing With Max by Emily Colson and Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman.  Two women who love the Lord with all their hearts that are living stories they would not have gone to the store and bought, but they are faithfully staying on the path that God has marked for them.  Both mothers have suffered loss to some dreams, seek the truth of God’s presence and peace in pain, and (this is what I love) are telling their story from hearts of gold – they are reflecting Christ to the reader.  Their transparency about not wanting this story, the difficulty and disappointment of what they are living as their daily normal is an encouragement to me as I “listen” to God’s overwhelming  goodness to provide the strength to persevere and to experience joy, peace, provision, and protection in their hearts.  My husband and I talk often about our commitment to not grow old with a bitter and weary heart.  Life can do that.  While reading these women’s hearts (stories) I loved hearing the praise (sometimes, a lot of time) of their testimony that God handles their mads, questions, fears, resentments, all the emotions I can identify in my heart from time to time – all the while I see gold coming forth from their heart.  Again, I love people’s stories and as Truvy in Steel Magnolias says, “Everybody’s got a story!”  I want to be faithfully willing to tell the story of God’s way for me and to reflect gold as I run with perseverance His race marked out just for me!