What is Your Story?

 I am excited for this Thursday night. Me and my wife will be going to a red carpet showing of "This is Our Story",a project of EIU that will highlight several stories about Ashmore, Oakland, and Kansas. If you would like more information on this project and watch it when it comes on the air check out this link.

As I was thinking about this project and looking forward to seeing the finished product. I thought about how everyone really enjoys stories. This is something that I have learned in the past several years and something that I have added to my ministry/ preaching. Most of Jesus teaching ministry was focused on telling stories. In fact the vast majority of the bible is story after story, many of which have stood the test of time. 

The reason this is the case is because stories connect us together. Stories speak to us, we relate to them on a personal level. The stories we hear and love relate to us because it speaks to our common problems, or our common loves, or hopes or dreams. Sure the details and the particulars maybe different, but we can relate to them because of our similar stories. 

For example the story of David and Goliath was a story I love even when I was a boy and I know that is true for many other people. We don't relate to that story because he have ever had to face down a blood thirsty giant with just a slingshot. We relate to that story because we have all felt at times insignificant and ill equipped to face a problem that seemed to big to handle. 

As I thought about this project that will come out for everyone to watch next week. I thought you know Ashmore, Kansas, and Oakland are not really big cities. These villages are small and quite. From the outside looking in one might think there is not must to talk about. We don't have a University like Champaign/Urbana, we don't have a zoo like St. Louis, Mo.  Someone might ask "What could possibly be interesting about a small town. 

However, that would be a mistake to think that small towns don't have a story that needs to be told.  I love Ashmore, and there are so many neat stories about this small village that unless you live here you may never hear about. Stories like the Bill Cox, a baseball player, and politician who is buried in the Ashmore cemetery. There are many other stories about Ashmore, as well as Kansas, and Oakland. Stories that need to be told, and thanks to EIU and this project will be told. 

You know just like Ashmore, Kansas, and Oakland have stories that need to be told. So do you and so do I. You have a story that someone needs to hear. This is especially true if you are a believer in Christ. There are people all around you that need to hear how you came to know Christ. There are people around you that need to know how God had made a diffrence in your life. There are people all around you that need to hear how God answered your prayers. Your stories are not insignificant, your stories are special, they are unique and they too need to be told. Someone is waiting to hear them. 

So I guess what I am saying is simply this Go and tell your Story.