Tell Your Story!
The following blog is by Mark Morris.
Tell them your story.
“That’s not right, is it Grandma?” I don’t know how many times I have listened to this question being asked by my grandchildren after I have told them an unbelievable tale. My wife will give me a stern look and tell them “No, that’s just your Papa telling another one of his big stories.”
Oh, how I enjoyed making up stories to entertain my grandchildren when memories of tragic events would steal their sleep or rob them of peaceful moments.
I really enjoyed telling them tall tales of how I survived the plane crash in the jungles of New Guinea while I was on a secret mission for the CIA.
Or how my heart surgery scars were really from fighting hand to hand combat in a jungle war far away. One of my favorite stories was how I rescued their grandma from all of the things that were about to steal her from me.
They would always laugh and question my stories, and they would always fact check everything I said with grandma.
On a serious note, I also enjoyed telling them about how my family became Apostolic. I never tired of telling about when my mom was 13 years old, a lady Pastor named Eva Hunt stopped her while she was walking and invited her to Sunday School in the new church they were starting in her part of town.
I told them about how my dad came home from working on the railroad at the age of 16. He had no place to go, so he stopped to spend the weekend with his aunt and uncle. They invited him to go to the new Pentecostal Church that was just starting in town. He went to church that night, and there he met my mother. They started dating and in a few months they were married. Mom and dad stayed faithful in that church until they both passed away Their funerals were in the church where it all began. The church had a new building, but it was still in the same city.
It’s important that our children and grandchildren know our stories. Many times it is up to the grandparents to keep these stories alive. Our testimony of how we became Apostolic is important to pass on. In our case, I feel it is especially important that we share these stories with our grandchildren since they have no parents to tell them about our great heritage.
When I first entered the ministry in 1978, I found it fascinating to read about the early days of Pentecost. Book such as “The Phenomenon of Pentecost”,by Frank J. Ewert and “The Winds of God”, by Ethel Goss thrilled me to read and realize I was a part of this experience. Brother Robin Johnson has a very well written book about Howard Goss titled “APentecostal Life.”
I would encourage you to read books about our Apostolic heritage and share your stories with your grandchildren as well as telling them of where we came from as a movement.
The book “United We Stand”, by Arthur Clanton, tells the story of what we, who are of the Sage age called the merger. These books and many others will bring our heritage to life.
Share your stories, and when the story seems too great, and too wonderful, to be true, and they ask the question, is that really true grandma you can smile and say it sure is.
Tell your grandchildren your glorious stories of how you became Apostolic and let that be a thrill to them also.
God bless till next time, and I hope to see you in Saint Charles.