Mark 5:19-20
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.  And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

What a story this man had to tell.  What an undeniable change had occurred in his life.  He had been afflicted long enough by these demons to become notorious in this place.  He had lived a life of torment and unrest, pain and suffering.  He had no good relationships.  He had physical, mental, and emotional agony.  He had no safe place.  But then Jesus intercedes in his life.  Jesus casts out of him all that was causing him trouble.

And now he could recount that horrible experience and how Jesus was able to help him.  He could plainly show where he used to be and how he used to live and where he was now.  That experience in the tombs marked his life.  He carried the scars of that experience with the Legion, but more than that he had the marks of a changed man, a healed man, a saved man.  And those things he may have regretted going through were the very things that allowed him to experience the grace and mercy of God in such a powerful way.  So he had a powerful story to tell that could impact many people and help them believe in Jesus, too.

Our story is something that is unique to us.  It may contain many things that we wish were not part of our story, but those experiences have value.  It may be that we bear the marks of tragedy and suffering.  But when Jesus is part of our story, those things take on new meaning.  They are opportunities to glorify God and to encourage others to trust in Jesus.  And sometimes our story can resonate with someone else in a way that no one else’s story can.  And by going and telling what happened to us, some lost soul may find rest in a Savior.

The Bible is full of the stories of individuals.  And this man’s story is still impacting lives today.  Here was a man full of demons who suffered greatly but found sweet relief at the feet of Jesus.  In a way, we can all relate to him somehow because we all have things in our lives that trouble us that seem so powerful and out of our control.  Like this man, our answer is found in Jesus.  And like this man, we have a story to share of how Christ has made a difference in our lives.  And when we tell others of all the ways God has worked in our lives, they can’t help but marvel over the great things He has done.