In a few words the essence of everything I was trying to say both as a novelist and as a preacher, it would be something like this: Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is … life itself is grace.
– Frederick Buechner, Now and Then
“Listen to your life.
That’s what God is saying to me lately.”
Recently a pastor told me the story of how God brought back to mind a Bible study he did 10 years ago.
Back in college, as part of an Intervarsity Bible study, he did a manuscript style study of the book of Mark.
He went through the whole gospel – reading and studying every line of the text.
Making notes.
Discussing each story – sentence by sentence.
Who could have guessed that 10 years later this chemistry major would be a youth pastor?
And that a high school student would be asking him to help her and her friends study Scripture?
That the studying and learning he did a decade ago would be just the thing he needed for this moment.
He said it was a reminder from God to take his own life seriously.
That his own experience can be used for the benefit of others.
That listening to your life is a spiritual discipline.
Because who knows how God will weave all these things together for God’s glorious mission?