So, have you ever secretly wished you were a good storyteller?  Though you might be one of those rare breeds you’ve more likely found yourself wishing you could, even if for just a moment, simply “tell a good story.”  Seemingly, “storytelling” has become more and more a lost art reserved for a select few!  A good story engages the senses and leaves you wanting more.  Last time we considered the whole arena of stewardship, in particular the fourth leg of the stewardship stool, the element of influence.   We noted that the common view of stewardship includes time, talent and treasure but that is where it traditionally has stopped.  Today, I’d like for us to consider what I believe is the fifth leg, our story.  In fact, I believe this is the “anchor leg” of stewardship.

Each of us has a story that is unfolding each and every day.  And each of our stories is part of a larger story being told.  It is, in fact part of the greatest love story ever told.  It is, a story for the ages.  As stewards of our story we are called to invite others in such that they begin to see their own story as part of this larger love story.  Here again we find one of our deepest longings…the longing to be invited in.  Invited in to share the story of our lives such that we can know the freedom of being known, fully known.  Can you imagine a better way to become “good storytellers”?  The power in the story is in the invitation. The invitation in is the gateway to engage the hearts (and stories) of others so that we can know their struggles, celebrate their triumphs and affirm their worth.

Another vital part of stewarding our story well is protecting the integrity of our testimony.  This account, the account of our testimony, is one place where we need to be intentional about making deposits and see to it that very few things force us to withdraw from it.  Stewards protect things, stewards care for things…stewards know the value of their most prized possessions.  So, how is it with you?  Do you long to become a storyteller?  Do you long to be invited in to the stories of others?  Do you long to be a part of the larger love story?  If you do, consider your call to steward your story well.  You see being a part of this great love story is more than the “anchor leg.”  It is the anchor of one’s soul.  Peace.