I like car shows, but perhaps not for the reason you might expect. I like looking at and working on old cars. I have one myself. However, my favourite part about car shows is walking up to people and asking, “Is this your car? Where did you find it? What shape was it in when you bought it? Did you drive it to the show?” If you take the time to be curious and listen, you will not only learn something, but you will also hear some of the most amazing stories and meet some of the nicest people.
Stories are powerful. They allow us to discover truths and help us understand the world around us. There is a reason we read our children bedtime stories instead of the instruction manual from the microwave. The instruction manual contains facts. Stories teach life lessons.
It should not surprise us then that the Bible is full of stories. From the story of creation, David and Goliath, the parting of the Red Sea, Jesus’ parables, and thousands of other examples, God told his people who he was, what he was like, and how he saw them. These stories grounded them, connected them to their history, and demonstrated God’s love.
After God parted the Jordan River, he commanded the people to gather 12 stones from the riverbed and make a monument on the riverbank. Then he said, “When your children ask … ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over… that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty (Joshua 4:21-24).
Stories are powerful. Stories are instructive. Stories help us find our place in the world. Stories show us what to do next.
Maybe it is time to connect with God’s powerful story for you.
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