We ALL Have a Story

     Well, another Christmas has come and gone without Matt.  It's comforting to know that we should only have one more before we can celebrate the birth of Christ together.

     While I was cleaning up after the holiday, I ran across a book I haven't seen in quite some time. The title is Lessons from San Quinton by Bill Dallas and, yes, the author had been in prison. But it's really more than that. To me it was a book of hope. The author recounts life lessons he learned while incarcerated.

      I have been asking Matt to write about his experiences. He says he's a little preoccupied. I guess that's understandable since he has to watch his back 24/7.  Still, I can see the changes in his life and I wanted him to share them with others. I so want him to let others know how prayers have brought him through this, how God has had his back in every challenging situation, how his family and his church family have been with him through this whole ordeal. I guess they'll be time for that later. For now, I will have to be content to share my feelings on my blog. After all, this is my story.

     My story is also one of hope, not just for Matt but for my other sons and for anyone. In the years of counseling and therapy with Matt, I have heard numerous stories of redemption from unthinkable circumstances. I would rarely attend a group session without leaving in tears. I couldn't talk,

much less share my feelings. I had been a “scaredy cat” most of my life. I had not used drugs. I followed a pretty straight path with a few slips along the way.  I felt like my story was not important.

     But I was wrong! We all have a story to tell. We all can tell about hope. It just happens that my hope comes from a savior named Jesus. My story is about a mom who tried to do things the right way. She stayed home to raise her family. She took them to church every Sunday and taught them right from wrong. And she STILL had a wayward son who went to prison. Along the way she learned that all things happen for a reason, that bad things happen to all people. She learned that God is in control. She learned about hope in Jesus Christ and she learned she did have a story to tell. 

     I guess I can take my own suggestions that I gave to Matt. I can let others know how prayers have brought me through this, how God has had my back in every challenging situation, how my family and my church family have been there for me during this whole ordeal. I can tell MY story. What is YOUR story?