We all have a story and, as the story of our life unfolds, it will intersect with the stories of others.
In 1846, James Caughey visited a little church in Nottingham as a guest speaker. He talked about developing the character of a servant, helping the poor and sharing faith.
One particular man sitting in the congregation had been drifting in his faith. He felt God speak to him that night. That young man was William Booth and the movement he founded was the Salvation Army, which today is an international movement sharing the gospel and meeting human need in the most deprived situations.
Some things struck me about that story. Firstly, there’s a challenge to faithfulness. James Caughey was a Methodist minister who faithfully followed God’s call to move to England, not knowing what might lie ahead. He was faithful and wasn’t bothered about fame or profile or preaching to large audiences. He was happy to show up at a small gathering and share what God had put on his heart. He had no idea of how his words might impact another’s life.
And there’s a challenge to serve. He presented a challenge not just for folks to turn to God in faith, but called them to action to serve a needy world. James Coughey’s faithfulness intersected with William Booth’s shaky faith. God spoke, Booth responded, and the story was forever changed. Booth turned back to his faith and found a way to strengthen and bless others.
We all have a story, and our stories matter.
Main photo credit: Stephen Radford via Unsplash