Gretchen
Elizabeth Moore
A few weeks ago, I stayed with the Foley family in Dallas, TX. Not only did they give us coffee, pancakes, and clean sheets, but large portions of the Holy Spirit and hospitality that made our stay refreshing.
During our first dinner with them, they asked us to share our testimonies. So after dinner, we all got comfy in the living room and talked about how we came to love Jesus. They blessed us by listening. And when Friday night came, we returned the favor. Or they did. They shared their testimonies with us.
There's something about hearing the testimony of an older person who has been walking with the Lord for longer that is encouraging. It gives us the boost we need to push through this stage in life knowing that life didn't eat them alive, and God taught them something that they needed.
If you're an older person, the younger people in your life need you to be vulnerable with them. It helps a lot.
When Gretchen, our host mom, shared her story with us, it was very similar to mine. She grew up with loving Christian parents and started believing and following Jesus at a young age. Both Gretchen and I accepted Christ so young that we can hardly remember days without the Holy Spirit.
Gretchen said her testimony is like a sunrise. The longer she lives, the more she sees the Lord's character.
What a beautiful way to describe a life that can easily get labeled as a "boring" story.
Quite the contrary.
What an amazing story--to have the Holy Spirit in your life for so long that you can barley remember days without its Presence.
Listening to her story, I thought about how often the splendor of Who lives within me grows stale. How often I forget the Power that I have. How often I forget who I am. The fascinating stories aren't about circumstances or people at all. The fascinating stories are the ones that show how the Holy Spirit is 100% the only good thing in a person's life. The fascinating stories don't focus on what happened or didn't happen in your life, but on Who invaded and overcame your life when you were at your worst.
So, I've got an awesome story--a sunrise story. And so does Gretchen. And so does everyone who believes and calls on Lord Jesus.