Have you shared a story time with a toddler lately? The tiny tykes can range from exasperating to exhilarating, but they are rarely dull.
Gracie and I have a story time routine. After Grandpa gives her a bath, she and I sit in the chair in mine and Grandpa's room. It's big and comfy, and we can look out the window to the big tree with the little birdhouse.
Gracie asks tons of questions, sometimes even about the story. Kids are good at that, aren't they? Questions, and lots of them. And the beauty is you rarely know where the questions come from or where they're headed.
Gracie and I have a story time routine. After Grandpa gives her a bath, she and I sit in the chair in mine and Grandpa's room. It's big and comfy, and we can look out the window to the big tree with the little birdhouse.
Gracie asks tons of questions, sometimes even about the story. Kids are good at that, aren't they? Questions, and lots of them. And the beauty is you rarely know where the questions come from or where they're headed.
Stories are part of being human. In middle school world history last year we talked about our oral history. One of my first college textbooks called them our "Granny stories". My kids and I thought that was hilarious because they called my mom "Granny", and Granny had LOTS of stories.
Things haven't changed in thousands of years. Did you know God even commanded the people of Israel to tell stories?
20 There Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “In the future, when your children ask you what these stones mean, 22 you will tell them about the time when Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. 23 Tell them that the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan for you until you had crossed, just as he dried up the Red Sea for us. 24 Because of this everyone on earth will know how great the Lord's power is, and you will honor the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:20-26 GNT)
As our kids have gotten older, they sometimes seem to have grown impatient or bored with our Granny stories. Maybe it's because their memories of the players in the stories have dimmed. Perhaps because they've heard the stories so many times, they can tell the stories themselves. Or maybe it's because I don't always remember to include God in the action.
Things haven't changed in thousands of years. Did you know God even commanded the people of Israel to tell stories?
20 There Joshua set up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “In the future, when your children ask you what these stones mean, 22 you will tell them about the time when Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground. 23 Tell them that the Lord your God dried up the water of the Jordan for you until you had crossed, just as he dried up the Red Sea for us. 24 Because of this everyone on earth will know how great the Lord's power is, and you will honor the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4:20-26 GNT)
As our kids have gotten older, they sometimes seem to have grown impatient or bored with our Granny stories. Maybe it's because their memories of the players in the stories have dimmed. Perhaps because they've heard the stories so many times, they can tell the stories themselves. Or maybe it's because I don't always remember to include God in the action.
God is always in the action of our lives whether we realize it or not. I don't know about you, but sometimes it's easier to see God's hand print on our lives in retrospect. Whenever we recognize his will for our good, we need to include it in our stories.
I think every family has crossed their version of the Jordan. Death, divorce, chemical dependency, just as challenging and life-changing. Even positive changes like a new spouse, or new baby, or job, or house bring their own brand of challenges. Do we look for and find God in the crossings? Dear Reader, I want to lift my eyes from my feeble steps in life's crossings to the Father of us all. When I do, his story in my life unfolds before my eyes!
I think that's exactly what the psalmist must have experienced when he wrote: "I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds." (Psalm 9:1 AMP). How do you keep God in your Granny stories?
I think every family has crossed their version of the Jordan. Death, divorce, chemical dependency, just as challenging and life-changing. Even positive changes like a new spouse, or new baby, or job, or house bring their own brand of challenges. Do we look for and find God in the crossings? Dear Reader, I want to lift my eyes from my feeble steps in life's crossings to the Father of us all. When I do, his story in my life unfolds before my eyes!
I think that's exactly what the psalmist must have experienced when he wrote: "I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds." (Psalm 9:1 AMP). How do you keep God in your Granny stories?
Dear Reader, I pray your stories are as full of "grace" as ours are.
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