The Best Story

I have always liked to listen to someone tell a good story. My mother read stories to me when I was a small child growing up in the 1950’s. My favorite stories were those from Uncle Remus about Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. I enjoyed sitting in my dad’s country store listening to farmers spin their tall tales as they sat playing checkers or cards. Of course being a child I believed every word they spoke. Some of them seemed to punctuate thier least believable escapades by spitting tobacco juice into a popping flame in the old coal fire place. I am sure I heard some colorful tales that perhaps were a little too colorful for young ears to hear. I suppose that all of those stories, good or bad, gave me an appreciation of rural southerrn Kentucky folklore, and the whimsical ways of farmers who knew knowthing but farming, hard work and love of family and friends. Throughout my life someone has always had an anecdote or interesting narrative to convey to me or anyone else who would listen.

Sometime after I started preaching I learned that my sermons would become more interesting if I told some stories. When I was a kid in Sunday School I heard stories about Bible characters. I really enjoyed hearing about the adventures of young David especially when he slew the giant Goliath. I never got tired of the exciting accounts of Moses, Samson, Daniel and, Joshua, who caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down. These stories were told in such a way by my dear Sunday school teachers that I never forgot any of them. As a preacher it became clear to me that my congregation would enjoy what I had to say and would stay with me longer when I introduced the subject in narrative form. After 40 years of preaching, very often three times a week, I have probably told thousands of stories. Not all of my stories were about biblical characters. Many were about characters that I lived with, worked with and played with. I have met hundreds of people in the many places where I have lived that have provided me with stories that span the gamut of human experience: those of happiness, adventure, sadness, tragedy, despair, craziness, excitement, success, failure and on and on. I have been with many people in times of death, birth, celebration and hopelessness. Someone needs to tell these stories because they are stories about each one of us. We are strengthened and encouraged to move forward as we hear how others have made it through their own life stories.

My preference is to tell stories that make people laugh. Most of those stories are about my brother, my close friends and of course me. I have to be very careful about telling stories that have to do with my wife. She doesn’t always think they are as funny as I do. Some of the funniest experiences that I have had are at weddings I have performed. I have even seen funny things happen at funerals. Twenty-seven years of teaching has given me more than enough storytelling ammunition. Most people have no idea what goes on in a teacher’s lounge. I love to tell stories as much as I love to hear them. I would hope everybody enjoys telling a story. Someone is always interested in hearing your story. Everyone can be a storyteller. But the best story that you can tell is the one you can tell about what Jesus has done and is doing in your life. Hey, did you ever hear the one about….?

Psalm 126:2-3 “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”