stories are meant to be shared. we learn from them. we're encouraged to get up, dust ourselves off and go at it again, whatever the 'it' might happen to be that day.

these are redemptive stories. some of them may mirror pieces of your own life or the lives of people you love. god highlights those pieces to us to convince us of this one thing:

he is strong and present in the middle of our mess.

god is in these stories. redemption is his heart; it's what he does. 

father, jesus and holy spirit are working in every story, although their movements may be silent, subtle and covert.

these stories are not tidy, clean or sanitized. the characters are raw, broken and beautiful. 

their lives are not finished yet. some chapters are stalled until someone makes the next move, rather like a game of chess.

search for treasure in these stories. look for keys that unlock doors to freedom for you and others. allow your compassion to grow.

hold your hand on your heart. give it permission to be tender.

let your eye faucets leak tears freely when they want. 
jesus will walk you through it. 

breathe in deeply, exhale largely.

read as though life depends on it - because it does.

(copyright © 2016 jane doe)