Story Telling

Last night, as I was partying like a rabid dog all hopped up on caffeine, I experienced the power and joy of story. This party consisted of me sitting on the couch at my in-laws, my wife is sitting in a chair to my left drifting in and out of sleep. To my right, on the couch with me, sat my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law, both also drifting in and out of sleep. I sat amongst this inspired group watching the Detroit Pistons tangle, and literally fight, with the Minnesota Timberwolves while our Clover Bar pizza digested within us. Now, I will give you a minute to shake your very envious fist at the computer screen, as you think back to last night with only dreams of being in my old man slippers. Not everyone can live a charmed and high profile life, so please, let the chip crumble off your shoulder. I jest because I love my family, and it was actually just what the doctor ordered. I really wanted to have some good pizza, watch the Pistons, and just lounge with the fam.

But amid our lounging, my sister-in-law and her boyfriend return home after a special dinner in Holland, and they announce that they have gotten engaged. The women cackle, yelp and slobber over the blood diamond (Good movie, but I have no basis to think that this diamond is a blood diamond, except that I think all diamonds are excessive and ridiculously overpriced). I am found nodding my head and saying congratulations, all while watching the game out of the corner of my eye (I mean really, we're in overtime people.) After forcefully peeling their eyes off the ring, the women start clamoring for Barb, my sister-in-law, to "tell us the story!!" She talks of a romantic dinner, then a drive out to lake Michigan and a get down on one knee proposal. While they all smile, coo, and giggle over the story, they take turns trying on Barb's new ring. I continue to peek at the game as it is now in double overtime. My dad-in-law is currently in Denver for work, so she calls to share the story of what transpired. He sits in his hotel room listening to Barb on the other end of the phone tell the story, all while he watches the Pistons game (well done pops). Then Barb calls her brother out in California and she shares the story with him. After making short work with him, Barb quickly calls some of the female cousins and after announcing the engagement, they all scream, literally you could hear them yelling in the phone, then Barb would launch into the story. Barb then calls some girlfriends and the cycle of, "I just got engaged...shriek, yelp, scream... well he took me out to a romantic dinner and then..." continues to entertain all no matter how many times the story is told.

Story, it is such a powerful and amazing thing. The perfect mix of what is told and how it is told, and we find ourselves brought to the same moment in time, experiencing life change. I love great storytelling and I love telling a great story.

So with that, I say congratulations Barb and Troy!! (And by the way, the Pistons did win in double overtime).

Just passing on the story
Wallace D.

Sometimes right can be wrong

Just before Christmas, Moto was in a conversation series where we discussed fertilizing and caring for the “soil” in our lives. We asked questions like, “How do we take care of our heart?” and “What type of “soil” are we giving God to work with?” We were mainly working from Matthew 13 and the parable of the farmer sowing seeds. During the last week of the series I sat down with my Moto mini (small group), and we began to discuss how to best care for, and fertilize the soil in our lives. Now, I work with the fifth grade guys, so I’m prepared for our discussion to be, well, energetic. But this particular night a few of the guys were extra spicy and they had much to say about burps, farts, and everything not of the discussion. I pinpointed one of the guys, and directly asked him, “How can we take care of the soil in our lives?” Annoyed that I interrupted his goofing around, he rolled his eyes and then blurted out, “Read my Bible, pray, go to church, you know all that Jesus stuff!” A few of the guys chuckled, but for the most part it was quiet in our circle. I kind of sat stunned, and then one of the other guys snapped me out of my daze with the question, “Isn’t that the right answer?” I have been thinking about that question and that night quite a bit lately, and so I ask you, “Is that the right answer?”

In admittance, I was quite frustrated with the student’s answer, and I didn’t get much sleep that night. But the more I thought about it, I began to see that his answer runs head on into the vision of why Moto exists. His answer is right, but hopefully like me, you really don’t want to admit it because of the attitude in which it was given.

Moto’s vision statement is, “Equipping the church to move middle school students to understand their U.R.L. (Unique Role in Life) through a relationship with Jesus Christ.” That is, to equip our Moto guides to help students take the head knowledge they have about Christianity, Jesus, and the church, and move it into their hearts. To not just know the right answers, but to live out of a heart that knows God personally. To take the gifts, talents, and passions that God has given us, and be a blessing to anyone and everyone. Not doing this because it’s, “the right answer,” but doing it because our hearts will have it no other way. Because God has filled our hearts with His perfect love, so we can only respond with a life of worship and praise.

I have seen enough gold stars given out for the right answers, and I have also seen enough of the damage it can do later on in life. Moto exists so that students are challenged to move beyond right answers, and they will begin to understand that following Jesus is about living out the meaning of the right answer. In today’s culture, there is much we can gain by having the right answer, but in the kingdom of God we find Jesus asking, why is that the right answer? What does the answer mean to you? What does Jesus mean to you? Is He just the right answer, or is there much more meaning to Him being the right answer?

Sitting with the guys that night is burned into my heart, and I pray it will never leave, because it is why Moto exists and why I love the often-brutal honesty of middle school students. We have had some great conversations since that night, and I believe that God is working in the hearts of these students, and He is pushing them to move beyond right answers. Sometimes you can know all the right answers, and yet miss the point altogether. Praise God for His patience with us, and that He longs for us to move beyond right answers into a right relationship.

Wallace D.