I am reading a book titled “Crave” by Chris Tomlinson.  I was suppose to do a review on it a couple months back, but misplaced it in the move and just recently got back to it.  I will get the review up soon, as I am almost finished with the book.  As I was reading, I came across something that I thought was so good I wanted to go ahead and share it for this week’s quote.

Chris writes:

“One of the things that helps me want to love people is to think of their stories.Have you ever walked by strangers on the street or in a store and had a momentary thought about about what their lives may be like? These people whom you do not know have parents, childhood memories, families, friends and interests just as you do. When I realize these people have their own stories, I can’t dismiss them quite so easily.  I remember that their story is no less valuable than my own, that ultimately we’re all part of God’s story.”

It is so easy for me to go through my day thinking only of myself: my circumstances, my problems and the decisions I need to make.  But here is the rub, my story intersects with other people and their stories and all of our stories are intertwined into God’s story that He is writing for us.  As a Christ follower, I want to listen to people’s stories.  I want to be involved in helping others see the story that God has for them.  I want them to know that they matter to God, and because they matter to God, they matter to me.

Let’s not live in such a way that we are so focused on our own story that we forget we are part of God’s greater story of the redemption of mankind and the glory of God!