The World According To Chris Brewer

Growing up, I remember watching the CBS Evening News and I always enjoyed a segment entitled “Everybody Has A Story.”

In this feature, Steve Hartman would throw a dart at a map of the United States, and would travel to wherever the dart landed. Once in that town, he would open a local phonebook and select a resident at random…someone whom he hoped he could tell the story of.

Once he found someone, his camera crew would document him following the person around as they showed their house, personal effects, and items of interest. They would sit down for an interview in which they would share their life story with Steve, and it would all be edited for time into a four or five-minute feature piece to close out the CBS Evening News every Saturday night.

I don’t watch the news much anymore, much less CBS News — but my mind wandered back to the “Everybody Has A Story” segments while I was sitting in church tonight.

Pastor John had given the altar call, and there were a few up front praying. I finished my prayer at the bench and started to survey the room when I had a million thoughts run through my mind. I began to take an intent, albeit brief, look at each person in the sanctuary.

Nick. Shauna. Evin. Hannah. Molli. Benita. Angie. Jody. Ryan. Ted. Shawna. Dustin.

I took a mental snapshot of each person and began to wonder, I wonder where they come from. How did they reach the point in their lives that they decided to settle in Springfield? How did our lives intersect so we can be standing in this room at this moment in time? What led to this moment? How did they find Jesus?

You see, everyone in this life has a story. From myself — growing up in the Pacific Northwest, following the road of life, falling hard and getting up — to every single person I come in contact with. Everyone.

Not everyone gets a chance to tell that story. Some haven’t had anyone to listen to their story. Others don’t want to tell it because it brings up pain and hurt. Still others may simply feel like their story is not worth telling because there isn’t much to it.

I, for one, want to hear everyone’s story. It’s worth my money, as little of it as there is. I want to listen to someone tell me how they got to where they are today. I want to listen to how they found the Lord. And to cap it all, I want to listen to, as stated before, how our lives intersect at this point in time.

On my first visit to Crimson House in October 2005, shortly before I deployed to Iraq, Pastor John had the church pray for me. I still remember the prayer to this day — that the Lord would keep me safe, and that most importantly I would have a story to tell.

I’ve told that story over and over, and now I want to turn around and give someone else an opportunity to tell theirs. Just by listening to someone you can not only get to know them so much better, but it also provides for a special personal connection which builds confidence and trust.

Everybody has a story.

What’s your story? Hit me up, and I’ll sit and listen. I’ll even buy the coffee.

It’s what I came to Springfield for, after all.