REFLECTIONS

Storytelling

Daddy completed a story about my grandfather’s relationship with his siblings. (He had eight.) The captivating story of family history grabbed our attention; and Daddy seemed excited to have shared it. The lingering memory of dinner with Mom and Dad that evening years ago is in his request and warning, “Ask me more questions. There are more stories to tell and when I’m gone those stories will be lost.” Daddy was right. I didn’t, and they are.

At some point in the journey, most of us become at least a little curious about our heritage. Who were those people whose DNA we carry, and what were they like? Hidden within their stories, told and untold, are treasures about who we are, what we stand for, and the reasons behind them. Stories offer explanations of the values taught us that provide our sense of direction as we travel through this world. Without those values our lives are set adrift.

“Teach then to your children and to their children after them,” the scripture says; and those stories powerfully reach further than family bloodlines. Many are foundational to the masses like the Jewish Passover, Christmas, and Easter. But too many of them lose God’s messages in the distractions of celebrations’ festivities. Stories behind the celebrations provide a compass for life, define purpose to serve and values to guide the path. But we learn from the stories only if we really listen to the messages. And only if we continue to tell them.

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. (Deuteronomy 6:1-2)

Storytelling is important because the further away we grow from the subjects of them the less influence they have. Lessons taught from stories of my grandparents are powerful to me because I knew them. But their lessons are lost unless their stories are told. And the most powerful way to tell the stories…

Live the lessons to be learned from them.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org.

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