I was listening to a person describe what they had walked through in life. It ranged from a painful childhood, difficult teenage years, and numerous mistakes as a young adult. The pain bled through their voice from the years of struggles.

Then they said a line I wrote down: “This could have been a tragic tale.”

This person had overcome all their difficulties. They had not allowed themselves to be pulled into the vortex of pain, where they tried to escape through drugs and alcohol. Their story was not a tragic one; it was one of an overcomer.

The Church is filled with people who have pasts with trauma and shame, and through the power of God, their story does not have a tragic ending. Instead, they are a witness to the power of God when he steps into a life with forgiveness, power, and purpose.

I firmly believe that God can take any story and make it an “untragic” tale – even yours!