“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”- Maya Angelou
“I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owe something to the dead. . . . And anyone who does not remember betrays them again.”- Elie Wiesel, political activist and concentration camp survivor
In Chapter 11 (“The Untold Story- I Used to be Matt Petrino: The Power of God in Your Story”) of Finding God in the Ruins, Matt Bays underscores the truth that eventually our untold stories begin telling our deepest secrets- without our permission. As our untold stories begin revealing one broken chapter after another, the life we’ve always wanted becomes threatened by the life we’ve always feared.
Yet God uses what is available at the time to let you know that (1) your life has value and (2) you can instill that same sense of worth into other broken people God brings into your life.
When Matt was eighteen years old, he petitioned the court to legally change his last name from Petrino back to Bays. Matt reasoned that getting a new name would give him a new life. But this outward change did not change who Matt was on the inside. However, because Matt Petrino was a survivor, Matt Bays could tell his story. Likewise, Pastor Bays encourages us not to forget all we have overcome:
“It’s easy to ignore our stories or disregard their power to call the hurting, wounded, and abused out of their hiding places. Looking back can be painful, especially if it feels as though you’ve read the broken passages too many times already. But if you continue turning the pages and inviting others to read along, you will find the grace of God beautifully on display in your storytold.”
Today’s question: What untold story of yours can beautifully display the grace of God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The person you were meant to be”
