Once Upon a Time: Redemption Stories

Once Upon a Time: Redemption Stories
Once Upon a Time: Redemption Stories

It’s high time we celebrated stories of rescue and redemption.

Stories of when loss turned to gain, darkness turned to light, true hope won over hopelessness, and overcomers sang a victory song.

In the past, my story stayed secret in a young girl’s heart, not wanting to share it.

But it’s when we share our stories that they help others have the ability to heal us and make us brave souls armed with courage.

A release my soul has always needed. Perhaps, yours too.

Still, I used to struggle to tell the world, Once upon a time lived a girl. So, I avoided recounting my story—reminiscent of my rough start to life.

My untidy announcement to the world fell short of a glorious celebration. Baby twin girls made their grand entrance early.

But the early bird doesn’t always get the worm. About to give birth, my mother took a taxi to the hospital alone, not knowing the whereabouts of her husband, my dad.

Two babies shocked everyone including the doctor. For several days, my father remained unaware he had twins—before he saw me and held me.

All three pounds and nine ounces of me laid in a neonatal incubator. Innocence wrapped in a hospital blanket with no clue of the other brokenness lurking nearby.

Transformation Stories

Empty places waited for me as if they considered themselves my friends. Unwelcome companions hoping to walk alongside me through life.

While monitors tracked my vitals, someone else behind the scenes kept watch over my heart. The heavenly Father saw me, knew me, and held me close—aware of everything about me.

Unbeknownst to me, God continued to stay near throughout my childhood. He desired to become my welcomed companion. And to one day rescue and transform me from hurt to hope, from lack to bounty, from lost to found, and from void to occupied. 

Genuine transformations occur when we lay down the lie that it’s okay to go without what matters most.

I realized few people, if any, had a perfect start to life. Like the saying, “It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you’re going that counts.” — Ella Fitzgerald

New Beginnings

That’s never truer than with less-than-perfect starts in life. Those we almost never celebrated. What follows our beginning, how we process it, and where we go next helps us thrive today.

But attempts to restart our own life and recover from lack can lead us down the wrong paths. The direction we head is important to the outcome.

We must be willing to make any necessary U-turns to land somewhere solid—the places God leads us as He positions us for a fresh start.

My new start came when I allowed my Heavenly Father to rescue me and fill in every gap someone or something failed to fill.

Celebrating Stories

Once Upon a Time: Redemption Stories

So now I celebrate and embrace my story.

Because the Lord rescued, redeemed, and gave new life to a young girl. Then, He began to rewrite her story. And I’m ready to tell the world.

Friend, if you experienced a less-than-desirable beginning in life or endured empty places in childhood or adulthood, I hope you know Jesus as Rescuer and have a redemption story.

And I hope you celebrate your story of rescue and redemption with a victory song or dance—whatever matches your style.

Since no merriment ever sparkled without gifts, presents await us. Some of us searched for these gifts our entire life.

God waited for us to realize how much He wanted to gift them to us, and how they already belonged to us from day one.

Oh, how the Lord beckons us to unwrap…

The Gift of Rescue

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13 NIV).

Jesus “gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4 ESV).

The Gift of Redemption

“In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7 ESV).

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13 ESV).

The Gift of New life

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV).

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV).

Once Upon a Time: Redemption Stories

Cue the music and let the party begin.

Do you share and celebrate your story of rescue and redemption?

Also see: Saving Power in the Blood of Jesus.

Featured photo by Alex Geerts on Unsplash/Top photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash/Middle photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash/Bottom photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash.

Karen Friday

Whether the spoken or written word, Karen thrives in moving an audience to experience laughter, tears, surprise, and deep reflection. She not only possesses an affection for words (just ask her family), but she also cherishes God’s Word. Karen is an award-winning writer who has published both devotions and articles with a mission to know Jesus more and make Him known. She contributes to several national sites while she works on her first non-fiction book. In the blogging world, she is referred to as “Girl Friday” where she shares a central message: you are never far from hope. And she considers her life as a pastor’s wife and women’s ministry leader a sacred calling. Karen and her husband Mike reside in East Tennessee and have two grown children and two grandchildren. The entire family is fond of the expression, “TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday.” They owe Monday an apology. Connect with her blog community, Hope is Among Us.

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6 comments

  1. When you share so vulnerably, you invite others to do the same. This statement: “if you experienced a less-than-desirable beginning in life or endured empty places in childhood or adulthood, I hope you know Jesus as Rescuer and have a redemption story.” I did, and I do. Without Jesus and the godly grandmother he gave me, I don’t think I would have made it. At home there was some neglect, harsh discipline, and harmful actions, but by the grace of God and the love of my grandmother, I survived, I came to Jesus, and I have anchored my soul in him.

  2. What a beautiful story Karen. I am so glad to hear how God never leaves us. Thanks for sharing

  3. Just beautiful! Sometimes we feel unimportant, isolated and alone. But as you remind us, “The heavenly Father saw me, knew me, and held me close—aware of everything about me.” God knows us, planned for us, and sees us through it ALL.

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