I have always loved stories and story telling. Some of my earliest and most treasured memories are of me and my brother sitting on my father’s knee listening to stories he would make up just for us. Then, as we grew older we would beg for stories of the “olden days” when he was growing up or of his heroic deeds in the army or funny stories and jokes. When I had my own family it was inevitable that we would have a culture of story telling, I told them my stories, my father’s stories, new stories and yes they too wanted stories of the olden days of my youth and even of prehistoric times when grandad was alive. There are few things more powerful to shape and change the world than stories. Stories do more to shape our inner and outer world than we can imagine.
Jesus loved to tell stories and was a master at crafting a tale as a vessel containing truth, beauty and humour. His stories have shaped the world we live in today, the languages we speak and concepts by which we navigate our lives everywhere where the gospel has been preached. However it can sometimes feel that his voice and his stories are being shouted down in our loud media driven world. It has become challenging to not only hear his words but to pass them on to our children and to let his stories shape our families. Today many have embraced the idea that facts are irrelevant and truth non existent – all that matters is the narrative, the story you tell. I believe that truth is always important and stories are a great way to communicate those truths.
That is why I wrote the Stable Stories. Christmas time is a wonderful opportunity to shape the culture of our families and tell stories that remind us of the most valuable things in our lives. At the end in “The Donkey’s Burden” the old beast discovers the meaning of true greatness, that it is found not in wealth, nor exploits or following but in carrying and serving God. Each Christmas as I read these stories to my family we are reminded where true significance is found. This and each of the four succeeding stories weave life shaping truths into our families.
Like Bareo the old donkey in my story we are each created for greatness, and the greatest thing we can do with our lives is to be people who know, love and carry God’s presence to a world that is longing to know the true love of God.
This Christmas why not start a new tradition and use the Stable Stories to tell the greatest story ever told, the story of Jesus. The Stable Stories also make great gifts because you are not just sending books you are sending tools to help families create traditions filled with love, fun, truth and Joy!
Sending love from our family to yours.
