No Simple Stories

Russ Ramsey

One thing I come away with every time I hear someone share part of their story is this: our God has no limit to the breadth of what He can do. As each person begins to tell their story, it becomes apparent that no one has a simple story, that no one has made it through life unscathed by hurt and struggle, and that no one has an “ordinary” story to tell.

Often we can think we are alone in the complexity of our circumstances—and our difficulties are very real to us. But we can also make the error of thinking we are a special case in some way, with issues perhaps too big for God to work in. It was so refreshing to see and hear about the ways God is at work in the homes and lives of many of the men and women I know.

While our stories vary, the truth is that God knows them better than we do—and part of spiritual growth is how the Lord changes our perspective on the details of our lives. What we once considered “devastating,” God gives grace to endure. What we may have thought would undo us turns out to reveal His strength being made perfect in our weakness—and by way of the results, we become stronger in Him.