Bible stories, English fairy tales, and stories of my many missionary relatives became my childhood window from which I began to understand about God and good and evil.

I had no problem accepting the truth of the Bible stories and the make-believe of the fables. The imaginary tales simply served to echo the Biblical themes already being instilled in me.

Even my favorite childhood chorus in the British songbook, Golden Bells, from which we sang as a family, proclaimed the treasures found in stories.

Tell me the stories of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word,

Tell me the stories most precious

Sweetest that ever was heard.

God must know we need stories to understand who He is. He gave us a book full of them.

There is a passion in many, including myself, to write or tell stories that would hunger a soul to go back to His book and draw closer to Him

Psalm 118 is direct in advocating the practice of storytelling. To me, the focal point for this challenge is found in verse 17.

I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.

Whether intentional or not, we all tell a story through our life.

Psalm 118 makes me wonder.

What story am I really telling?

Who is hearing it?

Can I do a better job in telling it?

My prayer

Thank you, God, for seeing my lack of understanding and giving me stories. Thank you for the Bible that satisfies a hunger in me every day. Help me do a better job telling Your stories, so others who are hungry can eat, too. Like the Psalmist praised, so I give thanks to You, for You are Good. Your mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! Amen