Stories for the Generations

We've been spending some time with my dad who is up from Tennessee for a visit for a few weeks. It's fun to hear the stories he tells, especially of all the stuff he did growing up. (I just have to say, if I had done have of the stuff he did, I would have gotten into so much trouble!) Turns out he liked to blow stuff up when he was a kid. We're encouraged him to begin to write some of these stories down.

It got me to thinking about the stories we remember and the stories we tell to the next generation. That used to be the primary was that knowledge was passed down before the printed word became common. (Shout out to Johannes Gutenberg!)

Moses was clear that the next generations should know of the goodness and faithfulness of God and the Law of God which showed his people how to live in his love. He says "Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 11:19) In other words, be talking about the story of God all the time.

When it the last time you sat around and listened to stories from the previous generation? What kinds of things can you learn? There is so much that does not get committed to paper, and so when that generation passes, the stories are lost. 

But the other thing to think about is: What stories are you telling to the generations that will follow? What lessons have you learned that you want to pass along? What memories would you like to see preserved?