Healing BLESS Communitiesਨਮੂਨਾ

Day Five—Share Your Story

by: Juana Nesta

When I was growing up in South Central Los Angeles, my grandfather would collect broken tiles into a large pile in the backyard. One day I asked, “Why do you collect so many tiles, abuelito (grandfather)?” He said, “De lo roto de la vida hay belleza y propósito,” which means “From the brokenness of life there is beauty and purpose.” Then he showed me this wonderful mosaic artwork he had made from the broken tiles he’d collected. From a distance, it looked like a complete piece of art, but as you got closer you could see the brokenness of the tiles and how they came together.

My prayer is that we can step back and see the bigger picture God is trying to create through each of our stories and brokenness. In our brokenness, there is beauty and purpose.

I see my own story intersect with Scripture in many ways. Sharing these stories can be a source of encouragement for others. In Luke 3-4, God affirms Jesus as a beloved child before Jesus is tempted and tried in the desert. I remember when I first heard that God loved me, no matter what I had done, and that his love was unconditional. It changed my life.

In today’s passage, Jesus is ready to receive his call and purpose; he is centered on being loved by his Father. This became an anchor for Jesus. My mother, whom I lost to cancer 15 years ago, was that anchor for me. We shared a special bond, and I knew how much she loved me. I was able to face tough times because I knew she was ready to offer words that would affirm me when I was down. My hope is that we can all be centered in the love of God so that we can be bold as we share our call and purpose.

Earlier in today’s passage, Luke declares, “Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee” (4:14). Then in verse 18 we see him say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.” Luke mentions the presence of the Holy Spirit with Jesus on several occasions, including Jesus’s baptism and in the desert when he faced temptation by Satan. In the Old Testament, anointing of the Spirit was for people on an important assignment from God, such as the kings and prophets. Jesus’s mission includes bringing good news to the poor and announcing release to captives. To complete this mission Jesus needed the help of the Holy Spirit. I am so grateful that God has given everyone who receives Jesus the gift of the Holy Spirit as our guide and as we share our stories with people.

Prayer

Dear God, as we move toward being reconciled with you, help me to be your hands and feet to share my stories so that others may be reconciled with you. Remind me that I am unconditionally loved by you to be a part of your mosaic masterpiece. Give me the boldness to share my story so others can be reconciled to you. Amen.

Reach Your Neighbor

Identify some of the stories of God’s presence in your life. Be attentive to the Holy Spirit and to opportunities to share one of these stories with someone.

Author

Juana Nesta is a daughter of immigrants from Mexico and a church planter in The Evangelical Covenant Church who works in education. She recently served as president of ALIPE (Asociación Latina de la Iglesia del Pacto Evangélico), serving Latino/a pastors of the Covenant.