Everyone has
a story. A unique one-of-a kind story. Penned without ink, your story and mine
resemble a book in process. The people with whom we rub shoulders read our
stories every day as they observe our behavior and interact with us.
This
concept isn’t new. A converted Jewish leader by the name of Paul scrawled a
letter to a small group of new Christians in the ancient city of Corinth. I
wonder if they eagerly gathered around the courier (Titus) as he read:
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts (2 Corinthians 3:2, 3).
The lives of these Corinthians spoke
transformation from the inside out.
Formerly worshipers of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, they embraced faith in Christ alone
for salvation. Their penned-without-ink-stories
caught the attention of their families, friends, and neighbors who could “read”
the difference. No letter of commendation could top the
credibility of the gospel when
revolutionized lives were “known and read” in the
marketplace, at home, and in their
worship.
I
want this same transformation to make a difference in my story. Every day.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what J. I. Packer wrote in his book Your Father Loves You. “God . . . guides
our minds as we think things out in His presence.” It seems to me this is a
vital link in the process of inviting God to author our life-stories.
Posts
on Penned Without Ink will feature
stories, books, poetry, and responses to what God impresses on the pages of my
story. I hope you’ll join me as the plot progresses. Together, may we grow in
our trust in the Master-Writer.
Special
thanks to my daughter who spent hours patiently clicking away with me to set up
Penned Without Ink. Love you, Jana.
I'm so looking forward to reading along as this story unfolds!
ReplyDeleteSarah, "The Epistle" is wonderful! What a thought-provoking word-picture of our lives as living letters. Your work is fluid and eloquent, and I look forward to reading more! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteI love the design of your blog, and your first post is thought provoking. Thanks for including a link to my blog.
ReplyDeleteWe love the name of your blog and look forward to reading it all! Much love.
ReplyDelete