Thoughts of a Mrs. Modern-Day Mountain Woman Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Turn the Tables.

Mr. Modern-Day Mountain Man is a great story teller. Kids and adults love to hear him string a story together. It is a rare talent to be able to hold people captivated with your words. While it is thrilling to hear a book read aloud to you, there is something special about having a story that is memorized spoken to you. I have had the privilege in the past to work for a few people who could really weave a story together. It is an art, a skill, and at times I worry, a dying trade.

When I was a child my mom would tell me a story about the Monkey Family. Her mom had told her stories about this “family” and she told them to me. We even made paper dolls for the whole family, including all the cousins and aunts and uncles I added to the story. I told these stories to my children when they were younger, but they didn’t connect with them the same way I did. I am assuming that the Monkey Family story will not continue past my children. In history, stories are passed down from one generation to the next. Yes, things are added and things are taken away, but the main focus remains. Too often in our world, stories are not told. Families don’t sit around the table talking about past generations. Entire family history lessons have been lost. So many people would love to connect with their ancestors and have gone through DNA testing to link them up with their ancestors, and while the physical connection is there, the emotional connection has long since been lost.

When Jesus told parables to His followers, I can only imagine how captivated they were. Seeing and hearing Him speak would have been amazing! The way He taught people was not in preaching at them and lecturing, but in weaving together stories with morals which could be applied to these people’s lives. When Aesop’s Fables were written, using stories and words to teach a message that would hopefully grow a person’s intellect and emotions. The Native American stories are also fantastic lessons to learn from. While some interpretations of these stories may not include God as we know Him, they often include a creator or a great spirit who is in control of the world and their lives. All of the stories from before Jesus and through the Native Americans are not always roses and sunshine. Oftentimes they have darker parts to them to show that life is not always the way you dream it will be. Sometimes the characters show the emotion of anger or frustration. This is not a bad lesson to hear and learn from. Jesus himself used frustration at a behavior to dole out an action that some would consider loud and abrasive when He turned the tables over in the temple. He wasn’t being mean, He wasn’t being violent, He was showing true passion in His beliefs by standing up for what He knew was right. In stories of the past, almost always the frustration in the stories turns out for the good of others. It may have a rough start to it or a tough spot in the middle, but more often than not good comes in the end.

A Golden Story.

When you are leading a group, there will definitely be times of frustration. You are never to use this frustration to show anger, but you can use it to learn from. You can see what caused the dissension and attempt to not let it become the norm for the activity. You may learn what doesn’t work in most situations and what may cause problems for most groups in a lesson. At times, you may need to stand up and say something for what is right and true in life. Sometimes you may just need to take a break, sit down, and tell everyone a story, a story that can amuse, calm, and teach all at the same time. Turn the tables every now and then and enjoy telling and listening to a story.