It’s been said that “everybody has a story.” In fact, the way we live our lives, the words we say continually tells our story whether we want it to or not.

On the third day after the recent hurricane, I was in the yard when a county worker driving down the street braked to ask how we fared. Without pausing, I went into my sob story of a fallen tree, ruined plants, no electricity, whine, whine, whine.

As he drove away, I was struck by my own words. My sob “story” gave God zero glory, and I missed a chance to show grace in the face of disruption, compassion for others in worse shape, and perhaps even encourage a young man who I’m sure had faced his share of complaints that day. I wanted to chase him down and ask for a redo.

A simple response could have been, “Thank you for asking. I am grateful that our damage was minimal, but we’re praying for God to provide for the folks south of us. And THANK YOU for everything you are doing in the aftermath of the storm.” What a different story that tells about who I am and Who I follow.