Storyteller

"I can't sleep in my room!" cried four-year-old Jonah as he climbed into bed with his brother Jacob. "The mean bear will eat me!""That was just a story," Jacob tried to explain. "I made that up."Jonah got under the covers and snuggled up to Jacob. "I'm scared."Dad walked into Jacob's bedroom and sat down on the bed next to the two boys. "Jacob, did you tell your brother another one of your wild tales?"Jacob nodded and grinned. "It was one of my best stories. There's this five-headed snake who teams up with this bear who has a head like a wild boar with footlong fangs and claws in the shape of knives. They go around looking for kids to eat, but my superhero is bigger than both of them. He can fly, and he has these spears for arms and--""You have a fantastic imagination," Dad interrupted with a smile. "Stories are important. They can teach us about life. But I think your story taught your brother to be afraid." Jonah crawled into Dad's lap."I love making up stories," said Jacob. "I've even been writing them down.""That's wonderful, Jacob. Storytelling is a gift God has given you. Still, you should consider your audience next time.""I will." Jacob looked at his brother. "Sorry for scaring you, Jonah." Dad put his hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Did you know that Jesus was a storyteller too?""Really?""Jesus told stories, or parables, like you do. His stories taught truth about God and His kingdom to the disciples and other people who came to hear Jesus teach. Jesus told stories about things that the people in His day were familiar with, like sheep, farming, weddings, and fig trees. His stories helped them--and us today--understand the truth about Jesus and the kingdom we become part of when we trust Him to save us from sin."Jacob looked at Jonah. His little brother held his favorite blue car close to his chest. "I could make up a story about a magic blue car for Jonah. He'd like that!""He sure would," Dad said as he carried a sleepy Jonah back to his bed. –Bonnie Carr