StoryTellers give some GREAT Lessons

 Luke 8: 4-8 While the crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town to town, he told them a parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and provided a crop a hundred times more than what was sown."

Clyde was a man in his late 50's who grew up in the hills of eastern Tennessee. During the week, we worked side by side at the local Coca-Cola bottling plant. But on Saturdays, he would travel to the little town of Jonesbourgh Tennessee for his second job.

He was an official "storyteller". Clyde could tell a simple country story with the greatest of ease and with great detail. When he talked about his grandmother's clear pie (pecan pie without the pecans), you could almost smell the brown sugar cooking. And when he would call like a crow or squawk like the hawk swooping down to grab it's prey, we would all look around expecting to see it happen. He was that good!

Each of Clyde's stories ended with a lesson on how to live with honor and integrity. Looking back on his stories, I now understand the importance of the stories, or parables, that Jesus told the people of His day.

Most everyone can relate to a well-told story. So, when He taught via parables, like the one above, everyone could relate because they had seen seeds planted. It was easy to understand the "moral" of the story as most had seen the perils and victories of planting seeds.

Sometimes we can become so "religious" that we miss the relationship Jesus wants with each one of us. We focus so much on the small things that we miss the excitement and love that is packed in a daily walk with Christ. His story is simple and one with a happy ending.

Everyone has a story to tell others; starting with the story of your relationship with the Lord.

To whom have you told your story, lately?

Never miss an opportunity to tell your story. . .the good, the bad, the ugly, and how you came though those times with a new understanding of life and relationships.