I grew up listening to my grandfather tell me stories of the past. He was influential in instilling in me a love for a good story, and I learned a lot from him about the importance of telling the story well. No matter how many times he told me the stories of his youth, I never got tired of hearing them. When I began to write stories and poems of my own, I wanted to tell them in such a way that people would enjoy them as much as I enjoyed my grandfather’s stories. A great story needs to hold the reader’s attention and make them feel what you are saying.
This brings me to the most important thing my grandfather taught me. He taught me to love the greatest Story ever written. He taught me to love reading the Bible. My granddaddy began each day studying his Bible and that memory has stayed with me long after he was gone. As a child reading Bible story books at my grandparent’s house, the stories came alive to me. Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph became real to me. I could just imagine David standing before the giant Goliath. I first learned who Jesus was in those quiet moments at my grandparent’s house.
I am so thankful that God blessed me with a grandfather who shared his love for God’s Word with me. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if God hadn’t used him to teach me about Him. Thinking back on the difference my grandfather made in my life makes me want to make sure I am making a difference in someone’s life. I need to make sure that I take the lessons I have learned and pass them on to others. The lessons we learn are meant to be shared. Our stories are meant to be shared. Even more importantly, the love of Christ is meant to be shared.
My friend, God wants us to share what we learn with others. We are supposed to do all we can to help and encourage one another. We are not meant to struggle alone; we are here to help each other. Galatians 6:2 says, “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”. By sharing the lessons we have learned with one another, we can help to bear one another’s burdens. What lesson have you learned that you could share with someone today? What has He done for you that you could tell someone about today?
One last but very important thought. We must be humble enough to be willing to learn from one another. We must be willing to listen to the wisdom of others who have persevered in their walk with Christ. We can learn a lot from each other if we are willing to try. There is so much we each have to offer and I believe God wants us each to use our story for His glory. What we learn is meant to be shared. It is important that we do all we can to help one another grow in our faith. After all, we are all in this together. Let’s do our best to help each other along the way.
Katrina Douglas
