Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Story

CHAZOWN is a Hebrew word for vision, purpose, destiny — and it’s what God had in mind for us when He created us. Each one of us was placed on earth for a unique purpose that’s solely ours to fulfill. I was once a participant, but this weekend I was a veteran volunteer at the Chazown experience at LifeChurch.tv Jenks Campus. What a tremendous opportunity it is to discover what God had in mind when He made us. As a volunteer, we casually walk about the room to answer questions and give practical explanations to attendees, because “we’ve been there”.

Yesterday, a man signaled for my help. He couldn’t figure out what his core values are. I asked to see his timeline (those are the people, experiences and events — good and bad — that played an important role in our life). Immediately, my eyes fell on “Mom & Dad divorced”. My immediate response was “Mom & Dad divorced — what about the core value ‘compassion’? Could you possibly be more compassionate to a young person when you hear that their parents divorced, too?” He had an “Aha” moment. The lights came on for him. He got it. The pains of our past and present may seem isolated at the time…..but God has a way of making those things turn out for good….not only for us….but for those we are called to inspire and help.

St. Paul so aptly put it….”That I might comfort others with the same comfort that I have been comforted with.” II Corinthians 1:4. What does your past look like? Full of hurt, disappointment, rejection, defeat? But you survived it….by the grace of God? Could it be that those hurts and tests and messes are the very things that God desires to use to catapult you into a teaching/consoling/caregiving ministry — or, at the very least to be more compassionate to those in your world? And then, for sure, we’ll be able to say “Indeed, ALL things really do work for my good…..” Romans 8:28