Storytellers: Wednesday in the Word
Today is a day for storytellers. Maybe you aren’t aware, but it is World Storytelling Day. I know. Another made up holiday to celebrate. And this month is full of writing related days. You can thank Dr. Seuss being born in March for that.
But before you skip over this one with a quick, “I’m not a storyteller. I’ll leave that for the authors in the group”, I hope you keep reading. You are a storyteller.
When you share with your kids about what it was like for you growing up, you’re telling a story. If you recount with dramatic flair the day’s events when you return home to your spouse, you’re a storyteller.
It doesn’t have to start with “once upon a time” or be filled with fiction and imagination to be a story. It doesn’t have to be written down to make you a storyteller. True stories are still stories. And the first storytellers passed down their stories through oral tradition, not writing.
Even thinking about storytelling from this different perspective you may feel like you don’t have a story to tell. If you’re a Christian, I can tell you without a doubt that you do. The last thing Jesus did before ascending into heaven was to instruct the believers to “Go into all the world”. Why? To share the gospel (good news) story that sin separates us from God, Jesus died and rose again to take the punishment for our sin, and that He will forgive all who come to Him in faith.
Even if we don’t feel our story is share-worthy, Jesus’ story is. And He gave it to us to share with others.
But, we do have stories to share. Every struggle we’ve faced. Every time God has worked in our lives. The sin battles we’ve won. Even the ones we’ve lost that God has forgiven. These make up our stories. And these stories can encourage and challenge others in their faith.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 tells us “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
As God strengthens, grows, and holds us close through our struggles, our faith story grows. When we are willing to share that story with others, they can experience that same strength, growth, and closeness in their own hard times.
Our stories are for sharing. They remind us of where God has brought us from and encourage us for where He’s taking us. They bond us with other believers. And theyhelp others draw closer to God as they face the same kinds of struggles we’ve gone through.
God will lead you to the ones who will benefit from your story. Willing storytellers are needed. Will you be one?
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