Story

Story

Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD, my uncle Jimmy had a larger-than-life presence. His big, booming voice was countered by his tenderness with little kids. He spent long hours working at the paper mill, then came home and worked on his farm in northern Minnesota. He raised Belgian draft horses, and I grew up loving the jingling harnesses that signaled hayrides in the summer and sleigh rides in the winter.

He also told great stories—usually ones poking gentle fun at a family member—that made us laugh. Though he died several years ago, our memories of Uncle Jimmy and the stories he told remain alive and well.

Recently, my aunt stopped into the local feed store to purchase chicken feed.

“What’s your last name?” the owner asked, fingers poised to look it up on the computer.

When my aunt responded, the man paused. “I never met your husband, but he was a legend around here.”

Telling me about it later, my aunt Delpha said, “That sure made me smile, thinking I was married to a legend. Jim would’ve gotten a smile out of that. Probably an attitude, too.”

If my uncle is a legend, it’s because of the man he was and the stories we tell about him. Stories matter. The stories we tell ourselves about who we are, the ones we tell our family members that turn into family lore, the stories we tell the world about what matters to us—all of those define and demonstrate what matters most.

Even more important are the stories we tell about Jesus—how he’s been faithful, how we can trust him, how his love and mercy have defined the way we treat others. It’s easy for people to argue a fine point about theology, but it’s harder to dispute the testimony of our story: I was lost, but now I’m found. We are the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. We are the church—but we are also witnesses to the miraculous work of our Savior, Jesus.

Lord, thank you for the opportunity to tell the Good News of your story. Help me to faithfully pass it on. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: What stories do you tell others about Jesus? Does your depiction make him seem like someone worth following?