Stories.

Stories. I love stories. I love hearing stories from people. My new favorite activity is to ask older couples their love story. I love hearing my parent's love story. The way they light up when they talk about how they met and how they fell in love, and how they have the little arguments over the most minute detail when one of them tells it is so precious to me. I ask them questions all the time just to hear them light up again.
I asked my aunt and uncle how they got engaged and this was how it went down: My Uncle started off smiling and then he said, "Well. I was going to take her out to dinner, and I was wearing a beige suit..." And my Aunt interrupts, "No, it was a white suit, dear." "Really? No. It was beige." And then she ponders it... "No! It was just a simple black." And then they both laugh, lost in the memory.
I love asking the story behind how the guy asked the girl out, or how they got engaged. People love to tell their stories. And my new goal is to get people talking about their story. (And not just love stories- I mostly mean our life story). Let's be honest: We like talking about our lives. We like telling people how we grew up and the little things that tick us off, we like people to laugh at our embarrassing stories. Because it all shows the person we are. Why we are. How we became the way we are. And people's stories to me are significant.
Sometimes, we even tell other people's love stories. I recently heard my best friend tell me about her boyfriend's parents love story. When we (and maybe I'm only speaking to girls...) hear these stories, we long for that kind of story. Something within us starts to think, "I want that kind of love." And our story is no longer significant. This, of course, is always dangerous. Comparison to another story always sets up for jealousy and insecurity and a need to measure up.
However, I wish we could tell our testimonies more like love stories. We remember everything about love stories: How they met. How they learned they liked each other. How they started dating. How thy got engaged. Etc. We know every tiny detail because we love them and we love the story. If I could sit in a room with a bunch of high school girls, I'm sure we could have hours of conversation about our first kisses. And they'd all be different, and I'm sure no one would've just forgotten it. But when we tell our testimony, why don't our faces light up at the mention of Jesus saving us? Are we so in love with Him to recall all of the times He's romanced us, or spoken directly to us? Can you recall when you first personally met Him?
I want to light up the way my parents do at the mention of my Love's name. I want to hear the love stories of Jesus from my friends. All Jesus did for us was a love story. John 3:16, so familiar, "God so LOVED the world... He gave Jesus." To save us. To love us. To win us back. What an amazing love story; that the God of the ages would send Jesus to win back His Bride.
And our love story with Jesus cannot be fed by a desire to have someone else's story. No two stories should be the same. If we are content with hearing one story of Jesus' incredible encounter with one person, we have instantly lost the connection that Jesus so desires we know of Him.
Certainly, the love we know between a man and woman is an incredible thing. But I think it's an illustration of God's love for us, and our testimonies should just bleed with the knowledge of that love.

I don't want to ever forget he day Jesus saved me. I want to proclaim my story. And I want to know yours. (whoever you are.)