Over a year ago, I had the blessing of sitting under a panel of mentor ladies, who have the benefit of years and wisdom to share. Looking back on their lives and the years they invested in raising their children, one recommended a life hack that is changing my own family. It is something that could change your Thanksgiving this year- perhaps your entire year.
Regularly Share Your God Stories As A Family
She recommended we share our God stories as a family- and to do it often. She and her husband would share their own stories of how God had worked in their lives and provided for them and their family. She said, as her children grew up, it became natural for them to share their own God stories over dinner.
Your Stories Make a Lasting Impact, Because They’re Yours
When her children went through trials and difficulties, they would go back to their parents’ and family’s God stories to encourage them to keep pressing on. Somehow those become stronger anchors for us than stories other people tell. Why? Maybe because they are personal. They are yours.
What Might This Look Like?
For me, this has looked like me being a little more conscientious over dinner to share an answered prayer, a small way God worked in my life that day, or a story from my past or my kids’ past of how God provided or worked in our life. It looks like me taking a moment to hold my kids when I come back home from teaching a class to tell them something God has done or taught me. For example:
As I was cooking dinner one evening, I paused to bend down and tell my older son a God story from that day. “Do you know what God did today? He protected a man driving a motorcycle and Mommy. The man on the motorcycle was driving dangerously, and he sped around a car in front of Mommy on the wrong side of the road. God put on Mommy’s heart to pray for his safety, so Mommy was praying for him. A few minutes later, he was very close to Mommy and almost drove right into the front of Mommy’s car. He was on my right just a tiny bit ahead of me and he started to drive in front of me. Right before he crossed the center line of the road, he took a tiny look back and went back where it was safe. God really protected that man. And he protected Mommy, too. God always answers prayer- sometimes He says “Yes,” sometimes “No” and sometimes “Wait.” Today, He answered my prayer to protect this man right away.” I motioned to show where I was and where the man was in the road.
Over a snack at the table, I told my sons about how God had protected my oldest when he was still in my belly. We had flown to South Korea together, but when we got back, my oldest was starting to come out of my belly way too soon. God helped me stop working and wait at home for months until he could come out safely.
I really enjoy telling my kids stories, and they usually ask me right away to tell the stories again, and again, and again. I’m sure for me that is just part of the age of my kids. There is something extremely valuable, even holy about telling our God stories to our kids again, and again.
Why not try sharing God stories as a family this Thanksgiving? Like an anchor for faith, our God stories can keep us and our kids grounded and thankful the whole year- our whole lives long.
The God Stories Project
Elijah and I recently started sharing God stories as a blog series. We have been exhausting our books of God stories from missionaries, and we decided to start telling our own stories and other people’s stories to help encourage others. It is such a blessing to be able to do meaningful things in school that will hopefully serve people we care about, like you.
As you tell your God stories with those you love this Thanksgiving, let us know if you would be willing to let us share a story of yours and we’ll send you more details.
More Like This
If this type of blog encourages you to engage deeply in the relationships that matter to you, embrace them more wholly, and delight just a little more in the day-to-day, then praise God! Here are some others that might encourage you as well. These are the God story videos so far:
Sip Life Slowly and Enjoy It 
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