What's Your Story (Part 1)

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. Romans 12:6 CEB

Perhaps it is not a prudent idea to ask someone my age, “What’s Your Story?” because when you ask someone in their late 80’s that question, the answer is going to be really long. There’s no need to brace yourself for a list of bragging situations. Rather, it will be a long list of living situations and of learning and relying on guidance from the Holy Spirit’s urging me to use my gifts and then pulling me through the situation.

I’ve always loved to write and in fact I started by writing a byline (a column) that ran in my high school newspaper way back in the 1950’s while I was a student. I have loved being a Sunday School teacher, a Women’s Exercise leader, and cradle roll monitor here at Eastridge. Reading the bible in search of answers to unusual questions, and baking bread with ancient grains was kind of a passion for a while.  Sharing bread with friends is sacred to me. All these things have been part of my faith journey.  

This past year, our EPW (Eastridge Presbyterian Women) bible study taught us to seek joy in our faith journey and I started thinking that my faith journey has not only been a long one, but it has been divided into 5 parts with each part providing its own kind of joy. 

FIRST, as a child and student in Sunday school, I loved the stories and the songs and the fellowship with the other children. 

SECOND, in my 20’s, I was a Sunday school teacher and bible school teacher (kindergarten and 4th grade) and a crafts leader. I really didn’t think I wanted to be a Sunday school teacher but with Reverend Huxtable’s urging I decided to try it and it was with Tom’s good mentoring that I learned how to read and love the Bible. I’ve always loved exercise so I also led a women’s exercise class here at Eastridge in the 1970s. I’m not sure we lost any weight but we really had a good time trying.   

During the years I worked outside the home, I took a hiatus from teaching, but I enjoyed reading about different topics from the Bible. I always wanted to know things I’m sure no one else ever cared about like, “How did all those Israelites know to bring and wave palms on Palm Sunday?”  “What happened to Aaron’s rod of flowering almond?”  “Why was finding the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes a special message for the shepherds?” I’ve had many more such questions. As I said, probably nothing of interest to most Christians.

THIRD, I really loved reading about the plants of the OT which started me reading about the ancient grains such as barley, rye, and Kamut. 

FOURTH, this led me to years of baking bread including some of these grains. Then I shared bread along with biblical bread stories. Did you know that the word “bread” is mentioned more than 400 times in the KJV version of the Bible? Soon, I began calling those who received my bread and stories, my “bread friends.”

FIFTH, and presently I still write devotionals for the Eastridge page, and at Pastor Thomas’ request I share bread with fellow Eastridge members through the Care Giving Group here at our church.

I, for one, have found real joy in my faith journey through all these years and the stories are many. Some could tell of success, some could tell of heartbreak and sadness, some could tell of the hardship of the loss of a spouse, some could tell of failure and humility, but the stories I’ve learned to love the most are the ones that have humbled me and have become humorous as I look back.

As a writer for the Eastridge devotional page, I started writing for the Advent and Lenten booklets back in the year 2000. I plan to share a few of my amazing faith journey stories separately during this summer series entitled, “What’s Your Story?” I did warn you that Octogenarians have a really long story! Perhaps my story is best heard in small doses. At the time the stories were happening, I didn’t see them as using my Spirit given gifts but hindsight shows me how not only the gifts but the use of the gifts was spirit driven.

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, we praise You for the gifts we’ve received through the Holy Spirit and We thank You for all that You do to love us throughout our faith journey on earth. Also, we thank you for uplifting us with our successes and teaching us with our humbling experiences while showing us always that Your love never fails us. In Jesus's holy name we pray. Amen 

Judy Welch