Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. ~ Genesis 1:2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. ~John 1:1-3
I have a rather fanciful view of how stories come to us. I imagine the stories roaming the earth on the wind, seeking a heart with ears to hear their whisper. When they find that heart, they break their silence, and pour out the story they’ve kept hidden for centuries. Sometimes they speak a song or symphony, other times a poem or novel. The storyteller simply has to listen, and he or she will be swept away into the tale’s river-like flow…
God and Stories
That is the work of the Spirit of God. His mission is to go before and behind the Word – Jesus Christ – and bring everything back to God. A story is put in a specific time, culture, and place to render glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We think the stories we tell are by-products of our culture and our views; this is true to a certain extent. However, as John so eloquently put it, “apart from him [Christ] not one thing was created that has been created” (John 1:3) Naturally, this includes stories.
No matter when a story emerges, it only does so within the context of God’s plan for that particular story. God is in control of the stories we tell. He is waiting ever so patiently to bring us back to Him, and He uses stories for that purpose. Jesus constantly spoke in parables (which is just a fancy word for stories) when He was on earth. Why? Because stories help us understand God’s love for us.
You can tell a story in a new way, and you can change it drastically; but the heart of a story keeps beating, untouched by our efforts to mold it. Eventually, the story will return to its intended meaning.
And one day, He will fulfill them all.
such beautiful writing 🙂 Keep up the Great Work!