The Art of Storytelling

 

I love to tell a story.  Sadly, I have not always told a story well.  It took me many years to learn that there is an art to telling a good story.  I wish I had come across The Art of Storytelling by John Walsh ages ago.  This is a book that encapsulates all of the lessons I learned and many more that I never knew until now.

Walsh breaks down the art of storytelling into three sections.  The first section is on crafting a captivating story.  Here you will find everything from planning your first words and researching the facts to adding description and eliminating needless details.  I found a lot of useful information in this section of the book.

The second section is on the tools for telling a captivating story.  This area deals with facial expressions and body language.  I have always struggled with what to do with my hands when talking and this section covers it.

The final section is on BibleTelling.  This is great for anyone who wants to capture an audience of any age with the wonderful stories found in the Bible.  In fact, I finished this book as I was preparing to tell the story of David and Goliath.  After applying a few of the principles found in this book I received numerous complements on how I presented this passage of Scripture.

You don't have to be a pastor or even a public speaker to  benefit from this book.  You can use it to enhance how you tell stories to your kids or grand kids.  Students would also find great use for this book.  Do yourself a favor and learn from John Walsh The Art of Storytelling.

Everyone Has A Story

For the past six years I have worked with the Salvation Army.  I have seen a lot over these 6 years, not all of it pretty.  I’ve learned a lot as well.

One thing I have learned is to listen for the story.   

There is a cynicism that has crept into our society where we act like everyone on the street is a substance abuser, makes the wrong choices and “has an excuse (story)” for their actions.  I have learned how far from the truth that really is.

It’s true, some of the “street” people abuse substances and make other poor choices, but many have suffered sickness, got behind on a bill or were laid off when the company downsized due to a poor economy.  Lest we forget though, ALL were created in the image of God.  (Genesis 1:27)

“Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2

When we walk down the street and see those in need, do we see God’s image in the person we try to ignore?  Do we see the image of God in the poor, the needy, and yes, even the substance abuser?

How often do we think about the soul of the man or woman on the street? 

I will say this, God thinks of them DAILY!  (Psalm 139)

He loved them enough to send His Son for them.  (John 3:16)

Can we not stop and hear their story? 

I mentioned that I have learned to listen to the story.  It isn’t always easy but with practice, we can look beyond the symptoms and listen to what is going on in the heart of the down-and-out person.  A cup of coffee with a stranger may place us outside of our comfort zone for a moment, but it can change a life forever.

These are my neighbors.  This is my mission field. 

Will you listen to someone’s story this week?

Respect Your Elders!

Growing up my Mom and Dad use to tell me to respect my elders. I was raised to say yes ma'am/sir, no ma'am/sir, etc. My parents instilled in me a love for the older generations and for our history and heritage. They didn't know it but they were actually following the Scriptures.

"Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your God. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:32)

I look at the world around us and sadly I don't see much respect for the elderly, or honor for that matter. 20 years ago euthanasia was a word I only heard about in conjunction with Hitler and Nazi Germany. Yet today 5 nations and 2 US states allow some forms of "legal" euthanasia. How long before the elderly will consider themselves "lucky" to be put into a nursing home?

Then there is the polite respect and honor we show older believers in the church. Some pastors, if they are lucky, are promoted to "senior" pastor, allowed to preach occasionally and brought back for anniversary services.

Seniors are encouraged to rest in their older years and let the younger generation take over the youth groups, the Sunday school classes, etc. Even chances to teach become minimized over time.

Why is that?

My heart aches when I talk to older believers who no longer are made to feel useful or valid. Believers who feel they have been put on a shelf, like an antique, nice to look at and take down occasionally but quickly put back before they "break".

I remember traveling with an older minister, in his late 70's, whom I could not keep up with. He has passed now, but I remember vividly one conversation we had in which I asked him about retirement. He said, "My retirement is eternity. Until then I must be about the Lord's business."

"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you" (1 Thessalonians 5:12)

We can learn a lot from our elders. I guarantee they have been in our shoes before. They've dealt with sickness, financial struggles, doubt, etc and have come through the other side. We can learn from them the ways of the Lord. We can hear God's heartbeat for each generation in their testimonies of God's moving in their lifetimes.

It is time for the church to stand up for those who have come before and to sit down at their feet and listen to the Godly lessons they can share with us.

Don't let the testimonies fade. Be a receiver. Listen. Learn. Love.

Color Outside the Lines - Just A Thought #30

I used to love coloring when I was a kid. It was fun to spread out on the floor, choose a picture and start filling it in with color. I always tried to stay inside the lines. I can't remember now who told me this was what should be done but I was very particular to follow the "rules" and stay in the lines.

Occasionally I would meet another kid who never even tried. They just threw color on the picture in a reasonably close proximity to the edge and if they went outside the line they could care less. One child told me they were having fun and lines didn't matter. I thought they were strange.

Strange, odd, peculiar. These are words people tend to use a lot when things aren't going the way we planned or are outside our normal way of doing things. It was also the way Jesus operated. Jesus did not do things the normal way. He totally colored outside the lines. He was not what people expected a Savior to be. He did not come with a sword to make war with Rome. He came in humility and died a King! Even in death he colored outside the lines when He did not stay dead but won the victory through resurrection!

The Bible also tells us we are a peculiar people. Titus 2:14 and 1 Peter 2:9 are just 2 such verses. What does it look like to be a peculiar person today? That is between you and the Lord ultimately. However, I do think it means we are not to conform to the standards of the world. People should look at us and see Christ. They should see a difference. Not in our "protests" but in the way we love! It is too easy for Christians today to say what they are against. However, when we love one another, when the Baptist loves the charismatic, loves the Methodist, loves the church of Christ, people will notice a difference.

It is time to be peculiar. To show we are His children by our love!

Be different. Color outside the lines!

Dog Gone Pig!

So I had this dog as a kid. A cute little Collie, German Shepard mix. The dog was born next to a pig pen. When we got to the little farm there were all these pigs running around and off to the side was a dog with puppies. We selected our dog and then loaded up the van to drive home. Then we heard it. The dog was making pig noises. Born near the pen and being exposed to pigs it was making pig sounds. The dog was not embracing it's identity. In a short time though, with a new environment, the dog began acting like a dog!

Too bad it's not that easy for us humans. Gal.2:20 talks about how we are crucified with Christ, we no longer live but Christ lives in us. Our identity, when we accept Jesus Christ into our heart as Lord and Savior, is in Christ. Yet too many of His children still act like we are living in the pig pen. We are no longer in the world. We are a new Creation! New! (2 Cor. 5:17)

As a new creation I don't have to live a life according to the world. I can live one that is pleasing to God. One that is filled with peace in the midst of turmoil. One that is filled with hope for a future with Him.

I can live out the fruit of the Spirit because I won't be trying to do it myself.

So embrace your identity!

I Met A Real Christian

Last night I met a real Christian. I'm talking about a genuine, walking, talking man of God. I am still amazed.

This man has been through the ringer. He has been at death's door. He took a physical hit that is still affecting him daily.

Yet in all of this, he told me last night he can still say God is good!

God is good. Wow. I would like to think I could and would do the same thing. However I had to stop last night and think....would I? If a life-threatening disease ravaged my body and I was not being healed, would I be able to say God is good? If my loved ones died or my house was destroyed and God did not solve the problem could I still say His ways are higher than mine and that He is good?

We all want God to solve our problems. We all need relief at times. Sometimes God does this in a miraculous way. Sometimes He holds back from moving. Is He unfair? Does He care?

God absolutely cares.

Let me share a story.......I have asthma....there are days when it is hard to breathe. To me that is a scary feeling. Yet once I went 3 years without problems and I know God had set me free. Then I developed bronchitis and asthma has returned. So is God good? Absolutely. Why did this happen though? I don't know. What I do know though is I pray more now than I did when I could breathe. I pray more for others and I talk to God more than I did before.

God is good!

Arms of Love

Rejection. The word drips with misery. It is painful. When we are rejected we tend to reject others.

I was not the most popular child during my growing up years. Skinny, sickly and uncoordinated, I never seemed to fit in. I had friends, but they seemed to come and go. We moved a lot and by the 3rd grade I had lived in Maryland twice and was back in Pennsylvania for the second time.

I hated recess and gym class because I was the kid who always seemed to be picked last. Occasionally a friend would pick me next to last to save me the "embarrassment" of being picked last. Throughout my elementary and junior high years I was beat up, pushed around, chased, and so harassed that I began to fear the very thought of walking the halls. I remember once sitting on a ramp talking to a friend and waking up on the ground. A kid, one I had never met, took a pair of cleats and repeatedly beat me over the back and neck until I passed out.

The there was the other forms of rejection I experienced. Girls. I always had an interest in girls from the time I was very young but never found the interest reciprocated. My brother, who was a year younger than I, always seemed to like the same girls and they tended to gravitate to him. I was once told he was the better looking one, and many just saw me as a "friend", if at all. They would laugh at me if I expressed interest in them. One girlfriend I did have, broke up with me and wanted me to arrange a date with my brother!

These and other areas of rejection were piling up to the point that, by my late teens, I no longer cared. I had developed a wall around my heart that was very thick. I was going to make sure no one hurt me again. I had excepted Christ into my life at the age of 14 but I was not yet ready to let Him reign in my life! I became very thick-skinned in many areas. I still felt the pain of past and ongoing rejections but as time went by the pain impacted me less and less. I remained this way until I was 24. That summer I fell hard for a woman at my work. We hit it off fast and I was determined to keep her in my life. There was a problem though...I wanted to be a missionary and she did not. I ignored her subtle and not so subtle hints in this regard and went on enjoying my summer romance. Then she threw me a curve by breaking off our relationship and saying she felt God had wanted her to do so. I was angry and hurt not only at her but this time at God as well. Again I had been rejected.

Shortly afterward I went to Texas for a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Discipleship Training School (DTS). While at the school, I met my future wife. However my walls were still in place, firmer than ever. Then one day, a speaker shared about the Father Heart of God. I had a very hard week dealing with the concept of God's love. I had been rejected so many times, I blamed God for that rejection. Finally, int he midst of the class, I felt like I could take no more of this lesson and I bolted from the classroom. I headed for the restroom where I sank to the floor and began sobbing uncontrollably.

I later found out that during this time my future wife, who had noticed my sudden departure, began praying that God would wrap His arms of love around me.

I cannot fully explain what happened during this time. As I sat on the floor of the restroom weeping, I suddenly felt a warmth wrap around my shoulders. It felt as if I was being given a huge bear hug. Almost like a blanket had been thrown over my shoulders. I began to feel the love of God penetrate the deepest areas of my life. My walls began to crumble. My tears switched from tears of pain to those of immense joy and relief. I began to get a true inkling of the Father's love for me.

It took time for me to let God tear down all of the walls I had built up. However, He began a work that day which changed my life forever. It was a process. It took some time but I felt the arms of the Father that day. I felt His arms of love.

"He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carried them close to His heart..." Isaiah 40:11

No matter what pain you have experienced in life...God can tear down those walls. Will you let Him reach out to you with His love?

A Fresh Perspective

I survived the Blizzard of 93!

The storm struck in March and left Tennessee in a mess. I remember listening to the radio as the snow fell and hearing all the calls for rescue vehicles coming in over the radio. Power lines fell, people were stranded, the salt trucks could not keep up. All told the storm did $6.6 billion in damages. In East Tn. where I lived we received a little over 10 inches of snow. That summer people were wearing an "I Survived the Blizzard of 93" t-shirts.

Now here in Canada where I live now 10 inches does not qualify as a blizzard. In fact when I share this with people here they even chuckle a little. It's all about perspective though. Tenn. does not get much snow. They have very few salt trucks even. There is no need. Some winters there we were wearing t-shirts in Dec. 10 inches of snow there is crippling.

Perspective. Kind of like our relationship with God.

As a young believer I kept hearing the phrase, "A sinner saved by grace." Now don't get me wrong that is a very true statement. However many people live there. That becomes their identity. They walk around and see themselves as a sinner. Well when you focus on sin what are you going to do? That's right sin. Tell a child, or a husband, not to take a bite of fresh out of the oven cookies and what will they do? Eat a cookie. We want what we think about.

Yes I was a sinner saved by grace. However now I am a New Creation in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was crucified with Christ and I no longer live! (Galatians 2:20). My perspective has changed. I see myself as new in Christ. When I think on Him I can't be thinking about sin. The key there though is keeping my mind fixed on Christ. When I take my eyes off Jesus I fall faster than a ton of bricks. However when I fix my eyes on Him I can't be thinking about sin.

I want to encourage you to develop a fresh perspective. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!

He is Faithful

The Bible says God will neither leave us nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

I found this to be so true. Year ago my family went through a financial downturn. Over a period of year we lost almost everything we owned. As a teen it was disheartening to see your toys, furniture, etc going out the door. My parents had to sell these things to put food on the table. Then the table was sold!

Eventually we lost our home as well and spent a day driving around looking for a place to live. We eventually found a 1 room rental cabin we stayed in for a month until a home opened up. This home, and the series of homes we went to after, were not in the best shape. We see through the walls, there was mold, mice, etc.

God eventually brought us through this period. When we were going through it I did not always see God. However that poem/song Footprints is very true. I look back and see that God carried us many times. We ALWAYS had a roof, maybe not the best roof but a roof, over our heads. We always had food in our belly. Our NEEDS were met. Our desires weren't always met but our NEEDS were!

God IS faithful. He never abandoned us. He was faithful to supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory! (Philippians 4:19)

Suicide is Painless and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.

A number of years ago I thought very seriously about committing suicide. Actually, the thoughts tore at me during several periods of my life, and at one point it seemed like the only answer. I told myself so many lies. No one really cares about me anyway. The world would be better off without me. I can’t take it anymore. My problems are overwhelming. I want out! Death would be easier. Lies: all lies. Yet, I believed so many of these thoughts. It seems the same is true for most people. We begin to believe the negative things we hear others say about us, or the rejection messages we have been sent by the people around us. I believe these lies are Satan’s tools to keep our eyes off of Jesus.

I started out as a very sick young child, with constant nosebleeds, being misdiagnosed with Leukemia and then Hemophilia. I was in and out of hospitals with broken bones and various ailments. As I grew, it was discovered that the cause of my weakness was only that I had severe allergies. What a relief! Only I was so skinny that I was constantly being picked on, beat up, etc... To top it off, I grew up with my Mom being sick and being warned she would die from Multiple Sclerosis. I had to shoulder a lot of responsibility as a young child, more responsibility than a child needs to bear. I would help my Mom with my younger brother and sister. I tried to be the mature one, the strong one.

However, being sickly and with a dying mother, I developed a lot of fear about death and dying. It was always in the back of my mind. Looking for a safe place from those fears, I began to check out religion. I had been raised nominally Catholic, the only religion I knew as a child. My only remembrance of church was something I felt I could not relate to. I talked with a friend who began to tell me about ESP, palm reading, astrology, etc and I began to try to learn about these things, reading books, practicing palm reading, ESP, etc..., but the fear still held me in a firm grip. I could not find peace of mind.

One day my life changed. My family moved to another state. Upon arriving in our new home I began to seriously consider church again. One day a lady from a local Baptist church invited me to a vacation Bible school. After two days of listening to how much Jesus loved us and how He died on the cross for us so we could belong to Him, I became so excited that I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart as Lord and Savior. I thought all my problems would be over. I was wrong. I was told some very unscriptural things from a church official which led me to immediately begin doubting my salvation. I started worrying even more about the things happening around me and in my life.

A few months later my Dad lost his business and we then lost the home we owned; we were forced to move from the next house we rented due to the inability to pay our rent, and the pattern was to be repeated in the next house, and the next. We very soon had no place to live. We began to sell off all of our furniture, jewelry, toys and other belonging to put food on the table. We never knew what to expect or where our next meal was coming from. Looking back, I see that God never left us, but at the time it sure felt like it.

As I entered adulthood my family slowly came out of this poverty. I moved away and got married. I became a missionary to a foreign country. I thought things couldn’t be better, and then they got worse.

I was still so afraid of death and dying; so afraid of losing everything again; so afraid of life. I began to think my only hope was the very thing I was afraid of.. death. I had begun a secret struggle with pornography; anger was overwhelming me; I was yelling, unhappy. I wanted out. I felt like I had reached my limit.

There came a point where I began thinking regularly about suicide. I felt it was my only option. Life had become unbearable. I was massively depressed and it was harder and harder to fake a happy face for those around me. I soon began talking openly of suicide. After mentioning this rather frequently my wife became so concerned that she called a Christian counselor seeking advice. She then told me that if I mentioned it again she would know I was serious and she would call an ambulance and get me help. I was crying out for help, but in my mind I truly believed that no one could help me. One day I went for a drive and with tears streaming down my face, I started contemplating how to crash my car and end it all. I remember screaming out loud, "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Something happened at that point which is hard to explain but I heard the Lord speak to me deep inside. He said, .You are right. You can’t, but I can.. I broke down. I felt a wave of relief sweep and a true peace that passes all understanding began to enter my heart and mind.

The Lord then brought me into contact with a Christian brother who shared some deep Biblical truths with me. What were these truths?

It began with realizing that the Lord was my only answer. I discovered a secret. A secret so powerful it changed my life. It started with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Christ died for me and He took ALL of this junk, all my fears, my doubts and insecurities, my worries about the future, He took all of it to the cross. He banished death and gave us the hope of an eternal future with Him. "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." Hebrews 2:14 -15

The answer then led me to Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." This means that I died to sin. Christ took my sins, my life to the cross. He is living in me now. He has been since I first gave my heart to Him.

Then I was shown Ezekiel 36:26 which says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." I found out that He had given me a new heart. Brand new! I became very excited by these truths and as they began to soak into my life my life was changed forever.

I discovered that all the things I struggled with, all the lies I believed, were just that--lies. God loved me, gave Himself for me...changed me. I still have problems that pop up in life. However He has given me the strength to handle them. Suicide is no longer an option. A greater power and truth now operates in my life: God the Father, Jesus His Son and the great comforter, the Holy Spirit. If you've ever felt suicidal...like life isn't worth it, then email me...let's talk.

Take me back!

Continuing the theme a bit from my previous post........

I was listening to the news tonight about the economy and grain scarcity around the world. This led to a discussion with my daughter about recession, depression, etc. We then began to talk about the important things in life. That's when I took a trip down memory lane.......

I began telling my daughter about my teen years, when our family was not well off financially. I talked to her about living in poverty and told her the stories of selling all our possessions to eat, 7 weeks with no electricity or water, one room cabins, etc. However I also told her about the blessings.

In the midst of all that we went through over those 5+ long years one thing stands out. God never left us! He never abandoned us. He never let us go without a meal or a place to lay our head or a roof over our head! He met ALL of our basic needs. Food, clothing, shelter. As I look back now and see the miracles during that time I realize that even in the midst of suffering God was there. He was watching out for us. I also see how He used this time to prepare me for life as a missionary and life as an adult.

I learned a powerful lesson from this time! God is in control. He loves us, cares for us and wants us to lean on Him not our own understanding!

My daughter also thought it was fascinating to hear the true story of my youth and she also expressed how she saw God's hand at work. Telling the stories to the next generation......

Just A Thought #21

Jesus the Storyteller

As I read through the Gospels I see Jesus always attracting large crowds and telling them stories while also healing their hurts. He used stories to lead people to the Father. The Bible is filled with incredible stories about God. From Creation to the Resurrection, the Flood to Acts there are stories everywhere that just need to be shared. People never seem to remember the points of a sermon 3 weeks after it is preached, but most don't forget the stories.

It doesn't matter if you work with kids, teens or adults, people love a good story. The challenge is to be a good storyteller. Today's generation needs to know the Truth in a clear, understandable way. The Bible is exciting. God is exciting! Let's share the excitement! Let's tell God's story to this generation.

It is way too easy to push the younger generation off to the side, to preach to the "adults". Yet Jesus said that we should come to Him as little children. Mat 18:3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Statistics prove that those who come to Christ, the majority do so before the age of 18! Yet too often our messages are geared to the over 21 crowd!

I want to challenge you.....tell the story....the story of God.

Just A Thought