Scripture
Our verse for today is from 1 Samuel 10:16, ” So Saul said to his uncle, ‘He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.’ But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said. “
Background
Do you remember not that long ago when people were using the phrase, ” Yada, yada, yada? ” Someone would be telling a story, and to fast forward themselves, or to gloss over some less interesting parts, they would throw in these non-words, ” yada, yada, yada, ” and then continue on with the highlights or wrap up with the exciting conclusion. ” I was in the grocery store, getting a few things for the weekend, yada, yada, yada, I met Tom Hanks and got a role in his next movie. ” Or something like that. Now I don’t consider myself to be a good story-teller. We all have been around some who are, and we’ve heard celebrities who could make a second career just sharing the anecdotes of their daily lives. For those skilled weavers of the English language, there is never a need to gloss over a low point or skip over a bit of detail. Every thread of their tale is as captivating as the next. For my money, some people just have it, and some don’t. It’s not so much the grandness of their adventures as it is the indescribable otherness of their charisma that enthralls the listener.
Application
But for even the least skilled of all story-tellers, were their story to include being anointed as king, I would think those highlights would deserve a mention. Perhaps among other kings, the re-telling of the anointing would include a few ” yada, yadas ” as to the specific details of the ceremony. But when an uncle in a fairly ordinary family asks his nephew what has happened to him, having heard of him recently prophesying, you’d expect the king-to-be to mention his chosen status and imminent reign. Surely he’d have a sentence or two about his future as the top dog. I’m quite certain the donkeys weren’t the highlight of the trip. As for you, you’ve got a story or two to tell. Skilled or not, you’ve got something worth sharing. And it’s unique in that it’s about you, but it’s not about you. And when you share it, it becomes about the other person. Only Jesus and the gospel can pull that off. If you’ll work Jesus into your stories, then Jesus will work in your stories.
Charge
As we seek Him today, lean on the greatest story ever told to give your story what it might be lacking.
Rich Holt / Originally Published on : BCWorldview.org
Also published on : Medium.com.
