Story Keepers

For the past 15 years, I have led a weekly book club at my church.  At each meeting we gather together to discuss just a portion of the book and this leads to the sharing of personal stories.  Did I tell you this Book Club is all ladies?   That's a lot of story telling in one hour.

In book club a few years ago, we read, The Story Keeper.  This story revealed the responsibility each of us has to keep our stories alive by entrusting them to the next generation.  And in so doing, we make them the story keepers.  While reading this book, I became a bit nostalgic as I thought of the stories my parents entrusted to me.  

My father told us about things from his childhood, how he met my mother, some of his youthful mischief, that the words “I Love You” are not to be given away to just anyone but saved for the one you will marry.  He told us when he accepted Jesus as his Savior and about his passion to someday be a missionary.  He made his five children Story Keepers. 

My mother also shared her stories with us.  She was the youngest in her family of four children.  Her brother who was a few years older than her died when he was five.  Shortly after his death, my mother became ill.  She told us how my grandma begged God not to take another one of her children and my mother recovered.  She told us about some of her mischief which only endeared her to me.  (The apple not falling far from the tree and all!)     

My mom told us about her Pa (father).  He was a kind and gentle man.  She took .25 from her aunt’s purse and her pa found out.  He didn’t scold her or spank her…he silently walked to the bathroom, closed the door and cried.  My mom told us that she could hear him crying.  His heart broken by her thoughtless behavior.  My mother stood outside the bathroom and pounded on the closed door crying, “I’m sorry, Pa.  I’ll never do it again.  Please forgive me.” 

We are the Story Keepers of our family history, but we are also the Story Keepers of a precious book, the Bible.  This is the story that has survived famine, war, prosecution, death and even 400 years of silence.  Yet, it lives on.  It possesses the keys to eternal life.  We can keep the stories of the Bible all to ourselves, or we can entrust them to the next generation making them the Story Keepers--keeping the story alive for future generations. 

I want to be sure my children know the stories of my family, but more so, I want them to be the Story Keepers of God’s Word!  

Your faithfulness endures throughout every generation.  

You set the earth in place, and it continues to stand.  

Psalm 119:90 (GW)

It's you responsibility to make someone you love, a Story Keeper!

Every Wednesday, I share the stories from God's Word with my little Story Keepers (Rainbows)!
In this picture the children are praying. 
For the past 16 years the kids have done this when we pray.  
They lay prostrate on the floor before the Lord.
We didn't teach them this.  
It has been passed from one Rainbow group to the next.  
They follow by example.