The Storyteller

Jennifer Thomas ponders written and unwritten stories, grateful that the stories Jesus told have been written down for us.

My dad was always a great storyteller. He could get anyone laughing so hard as he told stories of his childhood from his perspective. It didn't matter how many times I had heard them before or how young, or old I was when I initially hear them. He always made me laugh and seemed to have a way of tweaking his stories that, over the years, made them more enjoyable and memorable.

Like the time he scared his brother off of the roof of the shed in their backyard.

Or how he and his brothers would try to hide under their bed to escape their father’s punishment.

Or the time he nearly ran over one of his sister's feet with the lawnmower.

Those stories are all blurry now and I wish I had had enough forethought to write them down or record him telling them. So that I wouldn't forget the joy he got each time he told them. Or the twinkle in his eye that proved how mischievous he was as a child.

But mostly, his laughter every time he told the stories because he, himself, still found them funny.

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I've never thought of myself as a storyteller. Or at least a storyteller who could make people laugh. I'm more of the awkward storyteller when it comes to telling a story to make people laugh. You know, the one who has heard or experienced something funny but can't quite get the punchline right? Or the inflection, right? That's me.

Click to tweet:
Jesus was a storyteller. Every parable He told was a story. #catholicmom

But not everyone is meant to be a funny storyteller.

Jesus was a storyteller. Every parable He told was a story. To help the disciples understand concepts they couldn't quite grasp unless Jesus modified His storytelling. And what's great about His stories is we actually have a written copy of them. In the Bible.

I am forever grateful to have heard my dad’s stories. And even though I may not have a written version of my dad's stories, we DO have written transcripts of OUR Father's stories that we can share and learn from to help us grow in our faith every day.

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