The PEARL: Part 4 – Reveal

Recently I was invited to a ladies breakfast. The breakfast was held at a golf club in the middle of an upper class neighborhood. Due to life circumstances, I drove my husband’s ladder truck. As I slunk in the back entrance, I felt much like the character, Mrs. Bucket from the PBS show, Keeping up Appearances. Hoping no one would notice me, I parked in the corner parking lot and slipped out of the vehicle as quickly as I could. Seeing a few of the ladies from my church I had a strong urge to touch the hood of a jaguar as I passed it, to somehow signify that it, not the ladder truck, was my car. Luckily, I chose not to as the owner was still sitting inside, eyeing me suspiciously. You see like Mrs. Bucket, or Bouquet as she likes to be called, I am a middle class, church going lady. Keeping up the appearance that I am more than I actually am, is a real temptation. But Jesus calls me to live a life of authenticity. He calls me to reveal the truth of who I am, ladder truck and all.

Today we delve into the fourth part of the acronym PEARL, REVEAL. If you’ve not read the past three articles here are the links.

The PEARL: Part 1 – Pray

The PEARL: Part 2 – Eating Together

The PEARL: Part 3 – Ask

Revealing our story requires authenticity and a little courage. However, by now you’ve:

1. Prayed for your neighbors

2. Eaten with them on several occasions.

3. Asked them to reveal their story

So now you are ready to reveal your story. There’s no use keeping up appearances with neighbors. They know exactly what kind of car you drive and have likely, heard you yell at your kids once or twice. It’s time to go deeper. The question is why? Why should you reveal your story?

You should reveal your story because it is worth sharing. God can use it to reveal himself to your neighbors. Your story has elements that everyone shares. We’ve all had sorrow and joy, friendship and betrayal. Good and bad stuff happens to everyone. It’s how you are living it out that matters. Even driving a ladder truck to a golf club can turn into a story that glorifies God, if you let it.

So how do you go about revealing your story?

I think revealing your story requires a bit of practice. Not the kind of practice you do in front of the mirror, rather, just do it. Over the years, I’ve taught many children how to play the piano. Practice is always one of the biggest challenges. I like to use the idea of cake to illustrate how to practice.

Cake. A large chocolate cake with sprinkles on top. Yummy! Do you sit down and eat the entire thing all on your own? Hopefully not. That would end in a tummy ache. So, you sit down and serve yourself one slice at a time, perhaps you add a few sprinkles. Practicing is like that; just take a small slice at a time and a few sprinkles of things you need to work on. Don’t try to cram all of your practicing into one day as it will spoil the experience and perhaps make you never want to practice again.

Revealing your story is the same as chocolate cake. Choose a small slice at a time to share with your neighbors. The next time you see them, share a little more of your story. Just enough

that they see the sweetness and enjoy the experience of story. Dumping everything at once will leave your neighbors feeling like too much cake.

I think Jesus knew about cake. He was an expert story teller. He would tell a story and the people would ponder it. Sometimes, they would come back to him and ask what he meant or ask him to tell them more. Jesus knew how to serve up the sweetness of story with just the right amount of sprinkles.

How about you? What’s your story? Can you share it in less than minute? Can you take the parts that are helpful and serve them up for God’s glory? Your neighbors are listening. They are hungry for the sweetness of your story; it’s time to reveal it.

Here’s my story that I worked on after Jeff’s sermon.

I used to be filled with anxiety and fear. I constantly worried about what people thought of me and I was fearful of many things. It affected my relationships and even my health. Then I heard that Jesus loved me so much that he died for me and made a way for me to be free from all my anxiety and fear. Though, I am not perfect, I am able to live my life with confidence and joy because of Jesus.

Joleen Steel is the curriculum specialist for Camping Stick Kids. She has a B.A. in elementary education. She taught public school for ten years before deciding to open her own music studio and homeschool her boys. Joleen is a pastor’s wife and grew up as a pastor’s kid. Her love for the good news of Jesus Christ flows out of her and into the camping stick kids curriculum. Her easy style and creative approach to teaching will encourage your student to learn the Gospel story and be able to share the good news with their friends and family. Joleen would love to have you visit the camping stick kids website and blog. Come say hi at www.campingstickkids.com