Now, if I asked most of you, “Are we going round the edges?” you’d probably have no idea what I was talking about. Only a few initiates have any clue, and thats because I have schooled them in the unique nature of Vicki-phrases. It actually means, ‘are we nearly ready to go?’, and was an expression my Dad always used to use. Anyway, thats an aside, it’s just the title reminded me of it!
One of the things that I was challenged by at ROOTS was the way I share my personal testimony. I guess I take it for granted a lot of the year that people pretty much know it, so I don’t have to think very much. One of the most intriguing facets of 2008 so far has been realising and welcoming some new aspects to the story, and ROOTS made me think that I need to practise the whole thing a bit more.
Over the weekend, I was asked on two occasions for my story, how I got where I am today, how I journeyed to this particular place in life. In both instances, I heard myself skirt around the edges with the following, neat few sentences:
“I was raised in a Salvationist family and attended from birth. I was always in the corps but I didn’t really get the whole God thing until I was about 16. At that point I decided that I either needed to get serious about God and begin living properly for him, or to give up on the whole thing completely. I chose Him and here I am!!”
Now, this gets points for speedy delivery, but on both occasions that I found myself relaying it, I was convicted that I wasn’t being entirely truthful. Now, I think I know why. Somewhere along the line I have assumed that, when people ask for my story, they just want some neat, quick, sanitised version. I guess I sometimes find myself thinking that the actual truth of the story is much too messy to fit into a couple of brief sentances, and that therefore the abridged version is safer and doesn’t rock the boat.
I’m not really sure how to rectify that. Maybe I should get a T Shirt with it printed on or something. I don’t want to be one of those annoying people who goes on about themselves all the while, but at the same time I’m conscious that a lot of the time I skim over some of the more miraculous things God has done – I paint an Enid Blyton Picture when the truth is more Tolkien.
Maybe the next time someone asks me I will dare be a bit more honest? Or maybe I will keep wussing out and God will eventually smite me?
THIS IS your next time, Vicki.. I want to hear your story, the messy and honest version (i think you can see my e-mail address here, unless you feel like goin public with it!
)
ps: i’m adding you to my team of “restless”.. this means if you ever think of stopping or don’t write often enough- you will be blackmailed with old photos!
I can’t believe I was at Roots just a year ago. What a difference a year makes. I love reading how God is challenging you – keep it up!