YES, finally a lesson in which I excel at...storytelling. For those of you who know me, you know that I can tell stories. I have a story for just about everything...I know, big surprise, right? I can hear my wife right now, "just give me the Reader's Digest version" (meaning shorten it up). But it's hard for me, I like to give the details. I like to describe someone or something in such detail because, for me, it adds a new dimension where my audience (willing or unwilling) can vividly see what I'm saying. Since most of us remember mostly by what we've seen, to me this helps people remember the story I'm telling; because they can picture pieces and parts of it. But as I reflect on my storytelling I realize that a lot of my stories are about...me. As a leader this is a huge downfall of mine. If I'm the one telling stories about myself, the memory of them are less inspiring and easily forgotten. A big part of that, I believe, is that I'm not taking note of those around me who are doing things that have the ability to inspire others thru my words. Take a look at Jesus' teaching methods. When it was truly important, how did he relate the lesson he was trying to get across to the crowds that gathered? A lot of it was thru parables. Take a look thru the Gospels and pick out how many stories were told by Jesus to convey a message.
For leaders, the most effective way to communicate to others is thru stories. From Aesop to Jesus, Mark Twain to Ronald Reagan. They all have one thing in common, the ability to tell a story that holds our very imagination and inspire us to greatness. We love to be told stories, from the time we are little kids, to have your Mom and Dad or Grandparents read you books before bedtime is the thing that most of our dreams were inspired by. Even today, we still find books, articles, and movies that make the hair on the back of our necks stand on end or give us that feeling, that burning desire to do something, be a part of something more than what we are. Why? Because we need something to motivate us when our tank runs low or even drains out completely.
So, what kind of stories should I be telling. I know that I have this gift (although some would call it something else), but how can I use it better? How can I take what the Lord has given me and turn it into something to forward a cause, my cause, the Lord's cause? Well, for starters, I need to make sure that my stories are relevant to the cause that I'm supporting. Using examples of those around me who accomplish the things that I want to foster in my Soldiers. If I want to motivate my Soldiers to move forward when the enemy is attacking I need to reach into my bag and pull out a story about a time when another Soldier or Soldiers, faced the same situation and won the day - like in the case of SFC Paul Smith. I won't go into details, but if you don't remember his story you need to search it out and read it. The short version is that, single-handedly, he saved his company from an attack by Iraqi Army forces by laying down suppresive fire from a .50 caliber machine gun and used hand grenades to defend his position long enough to save everyone else. He was the only one to die that day and was awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for his bravery. The medal was presented to his wife and family on the White House lawn. SFC Smith is a hero, but it's not because he tells the story about his bravery. Everyone else who remembers, tells the tale of bravery that happened that day.
But not every story needs to be of bravery and heroics on epic levels. Take a look at the stories that Jesus told. The Good Samaritan, the Good Virgins, the Good and Faithful Servant. These people didn't accomplish feats that make up myths and legends. They merely exemplified acts or behaviors that Jesus used to show His audience what normal, average people are capable of. I think this is another key to those great and inspiring stories. They are accomplished by your average Joe or Jane. They aren't tall tales like Paul Bunyan and his blux ox, or Hercules and his trials, they are just your everyday people doing the right thing; making sacrifices and putting aside personal gain.
One more piece to this whole storytelling thing. Jesus never told His stories about Himself, they were always about others. He wasn't even a bit player or stand-in actor in any of His stories. This was an intentional and crucial part, in my opinion, on why those stories made it into the Bible. His stories told of acts and behaviors that He had absolutely no influence on. These were people doing what was right on their own without Him standing in the crowd or watching over their shoulder. If He had been there, those who opposed Him could have used this as a way to twist the fact that He was their manipulating them to get the results He wanted. Those who followed Him would have questioned even more the validity of His stories and would be hesitant to believe what it was that He was saying.
So, what's the whole point to this storytelling thing, it can't be just motivation and inspiration. No, Jesus was very specific in the stories He told for the lessons He wanted to convey. But who were the lessons for? You could argue that they were for everyone, WE can say that because we have the first hand accounts of those who wrote the Gospels. But, put yourself back in the time when Jesus was teaching these lessons. The stories He told to the crowd were just that, stories to the crowd, but the true meaning behind those stories were really for His inner core, His disciples. If you read, you'll see where Jesus leaves the gathered crowd after telling a story and then gives His disciples the true meaning, the real lesson that he was trying to impart. This was such a brilliant strategy. He made sure that His inner core heard the stories but afterward gave them the meaning of them so that, when He was no longer with them, they could tell the same stories and know what the real meaning was behind them. And the inner core was the key to keeping the true meaning alive. Have you ever played the game, Operator; where you all sit in a large circle and one person whispers something into the others ear and by the time it gets all the way around, what started off as I'm where a white shirt with a picture of a soccer ball on it, turns into something completely different. Jesus knew that we, as a large group, would play operator with what we were told, so He entrusted those closest to Him, with the keys to the legends. It was so effective, that this is how they told their own stories about the legend that was Jesus. Saviour, Leader, Friend.
I'll leave today with a story (I know, I couldn't help it). A few years back my family and I were up at Breezy Point resort over the fourth of July. It was a day like every other, kids were playing, boats on the water, everyone was enjoying the holiday. Then, the accident, MaKenzie, our youngest daughter, was on the monkey bars and had fallen off. My wife heard a scream but didn't recognize it as it was a sound that none of our kids had made before, ever. A woman came up carrying our daughter and asked my wife if this was our child. It was then that she realized that the screams belonged to our cute, little blonde haired girl, MaKenzie. We quickly ran over to her and scooped her up, realizing that something was very wrong. Now, I won't go into detail about what her arm looked like, but it wasn't right. But, as we were busy taking care of her, calling 911, giving direction to the ambulence crew and panicing; the hero emerged. Our oldest daughter, Kelsey, sprang into action. With her parents flailing around in all directions, she quickly and without being told; packed a bag for her sister to include snacks and toys, grabbed MaKenzie's security blanket (for comfort), grabbed clothes for her, and took her other sisters up to our condo. Once the intial shock had wash thru us, we started asking Kelsey to do these things, to which she responsed, "I've already got this taken care of and Kailee and Bailee are upstairs". To this day I am still amazed at her actions and quick response to the mini-emergency our family went thru that day. She truly did win the day. Thanks, Kelsey; for everything you did.
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