Tell them who they are, to whom they belong, and …

Oh, wow. A blog post that sounded like music, like a symphony. Rachel’s words rang oh-so-true and I knew I had to share them with you.

You’ll want to read the whole post but below is the excerpt that made my heart sing.

"Telling them the story that they couldn't remember

but which belonged to them

was like cracking open a space in their self-identity

and pouring in the backstory.

This is where you came from,

this is what brought you to this here and this now.

This is what we once feared and grieved

and how we moved forward.

This is your story,

this is who we are."

Rachel Pieh Jones, "Telling Them Their Story"

Like Rachel, you and I mustn't assume our kids, grands, and great-grands know stories from when they were little.

And we must be deliberate in telling them important stories that happened before they were born, intentional in telling them stories that would have a significant impact on them once they were born.

Remember, your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the Lord your God: His majesty, His greatness, His awesome power. It was not your children who saw what he did for you in your desert wilderness and how He brought you to this place. No, you saw these things with your own eyes (Deuteronomy 11:2-7, paraphrased). 

Therefore…

We will tell the next generation the praise-worthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done … so the next generation would know … even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds, but would keep his commands (Psalm 78:4b, 6-7 NIV). 

We need to tell our children, grandchildren and great-grands who they are, to whom they belong, and how they became who they are and where they are.

What brought you to where you are now?

What brought your kids and grandkids to where they are now?

To whom do they belong?

What events, what stories, belong to your family and shaped who you all are?

You have a great opportunity to carry out a holy work.

Writing your stories is so much more than a hobby, so much more than just telling stories and spinning yarns and reminiscing about the past.

You have stories only you can tell.

You are part of a story much bigger than you. Your story includes earlier generations, and it's your privilege to be sure your kids and grands and great-grands know their part in that story, too.

Writing your stories is a ministry!

Write stories that will be like

"cracking open a space in their self-identity

and pouring in the backstory."

Write stories that tell your family:

"This is your story,

this is who we are."