Core scripture: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Message: Ever had one of those nights when you just can’t sleep?  That’s me.  Now.  I look at the clock.  3:12 am.  Been up since 1:30 or so.  Not sure why.  I just can’t quiet my mind I guess.  I just finished watching a Wonder Years episode on Hulu, and now?  Now I just want to write.  So, here I am.

I met with my Bible study group yesterday afternoon.  We got to the end of Galatians 6 where Paul talks about boasting only in the power of the cross (Galatians 6:14).  That led us into boasting a bit about what God has done in our lives.

Can we pause here for a second?  Why don’t we write about those moments more often?  If you are like me, God does something incredible that can be attributed only to Him, and then I forget about it.  If I wrote down every God story in my 44 years, I might have an entire book.  And some!

Andrew spoke first.  His story was too powerful not to share.  After hearing it I asked his permission to write about it on my blog.  You could tell he took that as a compliment to God’s work in his life, so he gladly accepted.  The following story happened to him last week.

This is his God story …

Brothers and sisters are like dogs and cats—they just don’t get along.  Well, Andrew had it out with his older sister.  Their rant carried on until his voice boomed loud enough for his mom to kick him out of the house.  She threw him $40 and told him to go get something to eat.  Andrew snatched the money and stormed out of the house.

He ached to be understood, but nobody would listen to him.  The least he could do was go get supper at his favorite Chinese food restaurant up the road.  He pulled into Tea Garden, ordered his favorite meal, and sat down to collect his thoughts.

“Excuse me,” a strange yet caring voice said.

Andrew looked up to see an unknown stranger.  The man approached him and sat down at his table, meal in hand.

“I know you don’t know me,” the man continued, “but I feel like God has called me to come talk to you tonight.  Would you mind if I ate with you?”

“Sure,” Andrew said curiously.

His story spilled out over dinner, and the man, a fellow believer, listened to every word.  He even bought Andrew’s meal.  By the end of the conversation, Andrew was in tears, marveling over God’s goodness.

This story makes me think.  Do I open my eyes enough to strangers around me like this man did?  Do I take the time to listen to others when they need to let it all out?  Or am I so wrapped up in my own little world that I close myself off to these opportunities?

Not sure about you, but I wish to be that stranger.

Coincidence or God at work?  My faith tells me that God put that man in a place where the Holy Spirit moved him into action.  What an amazing God story!  It makes me wonder about the numerous stories out there amongst my followers.

How has God moved in your life recently?  Has He ever shown up to rescue you from danger, holding you in His loving arms?  Has He ever done something so remarkable that it can only be attributed to His goodness?

Shout that story from the rooftops!

(The above story about “Andrew” was true; however, to keep him anonymous, I used a pseudonym for his real name.)

Challenge: Wouldn’t it be cool if every person that read this blog wrote one God story from their life or someone else’s?  What if every follower replied back below with just one story?  It may just be a paragraph, but I challenge you to encourage others by sharing your own unique God story.  Click the reply button below and tell others how God has worked His magic!

Song application: “My Own Little World” by Matthew West

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Yasgzjc0w

What if there’s a bigger picture
What if I’m missing out
What if there’s a greater purpose
That I could be living right now
I don’t wanna miss what matters
I wanna be reaching out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start living right now
Outside my own little world, ooh
My own little world, yeah
My own little world, ooh

Prayer: Father, I thank you for the numerous times You show up in our lives with stories that proclaim your awesomeness.  Amen.