The Power of Your Story

I may not be a seasoned farmer, but I have planted various seeds during the course of my life and have enjoyed the fruit/harvest from such. I think its safe to say too that not every seed I have planted has produced a harvest. Yet, should the possibility that some seed wouldn't grow full term and yield discourage anyone planting from doing the needful? Not at all or rather, it shouldn't. Even if a farmer experiences some loss of crops, I believe he or she remains optimistic about the next season, and looks forward to it. If every farmer gave up farming because every single seed he or she planted did not produce a harvest, well, let's just say famine would be widespread. 

The experiences you go through (pleasant or otherwise) constitute your story, but have you ever thought of such as seeds that could bear fruit in someone else's life? Fruit of comfort and strength for example for someone, knowing that since others have survived something similar to what they're going through, they'll survive too if they hold out till the end. 

Recently, I was having a close-up, real-talk kinda conversation with some teenagers at Church and I asked them what challenges they have faced/are facing in their Christian life. A sweet youngster narrated how she was ridiculed for sharing Gospel tracts to the class beneath hers and she resolved not to do that again (the students tore the tracts). The Holy Spirit reminded me of my experience along similar lines and I used it to encourage her that she's sown a seed and should be optimistic.

My experience: A friend from Church and I went on evangelism some years ago and we happened to go into a place where folks bet. We shared tracts with them and engaged some in conversation about Jesus. A self-proclaimed agnostic took it upon himself to 'debate' with us for a considerable amount of time. We later left and my partner asked that we agreed over his soul in prayer which we did. Fast-forward to over a year later, i was back at this city for Christmas (my parents lived there at the time) and this individual walked up to me at the Christmas morning service at Church, to say "thank you". He narrated how he had walked away from God at the time of his massive debate with us, but is now restored. I had mixed feelings lol, but I told my partner the good news; I later appreciated God for using us.

Back to my sweet teen:

I used my experience to encourage this young one that her experience wasn't unique and that she has sown a seed; she may later or perhaps, never know the extent to which this seed would bear fruit, but she can be comforted that she obeyed Jesus command, and shouldn't give up on evangelism - telling people about Jesus.

We might go through many challenges for a number of reasons, during which we may not make the sense of it at the time, or possibly ever. We can be comforted though, to know that our experiences can be used to soothe others who might be going through similar.

So I want to encourage you especially if you're going through a tough time: IT'LL PASS! 😀

 Better still, your experience could be the source of someone's ray of hope. Allow your character to be refined for the better as you go through such; you'll develop invaluable traits (patience, perseverance, character etc) that would really come in handy someday.

Stay blessed x

© Lydia Ndagilaya