06/01/2026
As a child, I rated a preacher according to his ability to tell a good story—the more stories, the better the preacher. If he didn’t have enough stories in his sermon, I found stories in the Old Testament to read. Though I now enjoy a good speaker who lectures without stories, I still perk up when I hear a story begin.
STORIES PLAY A BIG PART IN CULTURE AND HISTORY
God commanded the Israelites to set up stones in the Jordan River so their children would ask what the stones meant, and they would remember to tell the stories of how He had helped them. Jesus told stories to teach morals and lessons. A well-told story creates humor, pathos, and other emotions, making it personal to us and easy to remember.
STORIES TEACH CAUSE AND EFFECT
When my husband was nine years old, he poured gasoline on a fire, and it exploded. He remembered to stop, drop, and roll—thanks to someone else’s story. Now he tells his story with extra emphasis: “Never, never start a fire with gasoline.” The fire rolled over his head to his back, missing his face and head, so he rolls up his sleeves and shows the patches of skin grafting on his arms. The story etches the effects of a fire started with gasoline into the minds of children, and the lesson sticks.
STORIES SOFTEN HARD LESSONS
Personal stories let your children know that you were once a child and understand how difficult growing up can be. When I correct my girls, it can come across with a you-should-have-known-better air, and I sense them bristle. But if I add, “I remember how I felt when my mom told me the same thing, but I thank her now, and someday you’ll thank me,” I see them relax. Mom understands.
We live and learn, creating new stories for the next generation. If you want your child to remember lessons you have taught about God, tell stories of God’s faithfulness. Add them to your child’s history, and someday they will be telling their children the stories they learned from their parents.
—Article selected and condensed from Homeschooler’s Friend, Spring 2023.
