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Written by Michelle J. Goff, founder and director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries
What makes a story worth telling?
What makes a story memorable? Special? Significant? Relevant?
What makes a story bad?
One of my family members is known for his storytelling… his poor storytelling, I should say. At a birthday party, the group was sharing unusual stories. He joined in, declaring, “Yeah! I heard a story about a guy who was in the ocean and got bitten by a shark!”
His prolonged silence prompted puzzled expressions and finally someone asked, “Was he alone?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged.
“Did he survive?” asked another.
“I don’t know,” he continued, undaunted by the increasing level of concern in the voices among the rest of the group.
“What more can you tell us about the story? How did it end?”
“I don’t know,” the inept storyteller repeated once more. “I just remember that a guy was in the ocean and got bitten by a shark.”
“That is a horrible story!” declared one of the women present. “You are fired from storytelling because you can’t just leave us hanging with only that one tragic part of the story without telling us how it ends or what else happened!”
That family member has many talents. He is a highly intelligent, respected person in many areas of his life, but storytelling is not one of those areas.
Is storytelling a talent? Or is it a skill we can develop? I propose it is a little of both.
There are orators whose voices emulate the inflection of every emotion carried throughout the story being narrated. Their description of the events and the tidbits shared about each character invite you into a reliving of the story, rather than a mere retelling.
Jesus was an excellent storyteller. He fostered connection, invited involvement, challenged with His words, and inspired with His eloquence.
His illustrations were layered in such a way that the simplest application was as practical as the deepest purpose was relatable. Jesus painted pictures in the readers minds, drawing lessons that could be easily recollected and universally applied.
The best stories are the ones with God as the main character, whether in a protagonist role or hidden behind the scenes. God stories may sound like a simple narration of the events of someone’s day, but what makes it a true God story is that it is an account in which He gets all the glory. The kingdom-level relevance of the retelling is highlighted through God’s role—one of greater importance than the minor, secondary characters.
God is the Author and we, along with others in the Kingdom, are all part of the greater story—in the same way that the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 often did not see the fruition of their involvement.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Heb. 11:39-40)
What makes a good story?
1. God gets the attention or the glory (John 12:49; 2 Cor. 4:5,7).
2. It points others to Christ and the gospel message (1 Cor. 2:2; 15:1-4).
3. It is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8).
4. A conflict, challenge, or dilemma is resolved by God’s hand at work, a biblical insight, or spiritual growth (Gal. 2:20).
When Jesus told stories, He only spoke what the Father told Him to say. In human form, Jesus was a mouthpiece, a vessel of the Spirit’s voice in Him. He was truly One with the Spirit, yet we are invited into that same oneness—a unity that is emphasized when we testify to the working of the Spirit in our lives.
The Messiah’s stories were not His own. He used His life and His stories to point back to the Father and present a Kingdom invitation and application.
Our stories are not our own. God wants to use our lives and our stories to point back to the Father and present a Kingdom invitation and application.
Therefore, Iron Rose Sister Ministries, in the year 2022, will be sharing stories—stories from the Bible and stories from our own lives. We will invite others into their own God story. We will be equipped to recognize our story as a part of God’s bigger story, “Our Story in God.”
Thank you for all of the stories you have been a part of in 2021. We cannot wait to share in the God stories that God will bring about in 2022!
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Written by Sabrina Nino de Campos, Portuguese Team Lead for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Tennessee
It's been a little over 2 years now since I feel like my vision has been blurred by pain and confusion. It may be that, just like me, you've also had an experience that transformed your vision. Maybe something related to your job, maybe to your family, or maybe you are not going through anything like that at the moment, but it happened to you in the past or it will happen in the future. There are changes in life that transform our vision of the world.
When my biggest fear came true and my mom had a medical emergency that left her with severe brain lesions, I felt like I didn't know what to do or what to expect. My eyes turned dark and God became a strange being, Someone I could no longer recognize.
During that period (and constantly since) I held on to the passage about the two people on the road to Emmaus. It says:
That same day two of them were going to a town called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking about everything that had happened. It happened that, while they were talking and arguing, Jesus himself approached and began to walk with them; but they did not recognize him, for their eyes were veiled. (Luke 24:13-16, NIV)
This passage doesn’t tell us exactly why they didn’t recognize Jesus, but I imagine the disappointment and pain they felt at seeing the One in whom they had placed so much hope die on the cross had something to do with this temporary blindness.
Can you think of a time in your life when you have also been blind?
In Luke 24:17-24, the two people explain to Jesus everything that has happened about the Christ and His death, and Jesus answers them in verses 25-27. He explains all the things that had to happen and everything that referred to Him in the Scriptures. He takes them by the hand just like children and helps them reach conclusions that they should already know, but do not know—that they should see, but don't see.
Many times, during stressful situations in which I feel lost, I can hear the voice of Jesus also telling me: “Didn't I have to suffer so that I could enter His glory? And was I not by your side during all your life and since the beginning of time? Have I not walked by your side?”
Doesn't your heart burn too when you listen to His sweet voice? (v. 32)
We have been through many difficult situations in recent years; COVID has affected more than just our health. And many times, it feels like we have come out of a fog in 2020 right into another in 2021. We don't know what to expect and we can't see anything. But I encourage you to think that Jesus speaks to you and walks by your side, just as I know He has walked by my side, and just like He walked by His disciples on that road.
Do you feel your heart burning within you?
Just like He did with the two people on their way to Emmaus, Jesus invites you to reflect on the journey that He’s shared with you. To celebrate, break the bread and bless it (v. 30) in the forthcoming year and in many others to come. May our eyes can be opened so we can see clearly (v. 31), that our vision now and forever is Jesus! Let’s keep our eyes on Him, to Whom all our goals belong.