"Can I have one?"
"No I can only take out one a day."
My friend Dale had just removed a piece of chocolate from this odd looking thing. It was the size of a piece of paper, thick as a book, and had several little doors opened. The remaining doors had numbers on them.
"That's his Advent Calendar." Dale's mom told me. "It counts down to Christmas and every day he opens up a new door."
I stared at this marvelous thing for I don't know how long. For a six year old, the idea of waiting for a piece of chocolate was well ... weird. Given my caffeine intolerance we rarely had chocolate at home, so I had some practice restraining myself. But at that moment I knew there was something special about this chocolate - I just didn't understand until years later.
Another time I was spending the night at Dale's house. When we woke up on Sunday morning he told me we needed to get ready for Church. I don't think I had ever been before so this was something different. As we got dressed his Mom told him not to forget his envelope. "Oh yeah!" Dale said as he rushed into his bedroom, we close at his heels.
I watched as he pulled out a small envelope, opened it up, and put a shiny coin into it. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Oh I get my allowance, and I have to give one coin to the Church, and then I keep the rest." Giving money away?!?!? I had never heard of such a thing.
As we sat there at Mass I was enthralled by the brightly colored vestments, the altar boys carrying the torches, and the coordination as they and the priest all moved together. Something inside of me suggested that I should be doing that - but that wouldn't happen for years to come.
My final story involves my best friend Kevin. After he told me he gets to eat a body and drink blood while we were waiting at the bus stop, the day finally came. Kevin had his first communion. I don't remember much about the service but I do remember the celebration afterwards. Kevin was also involved in Cub Scouts, so for gifts he received a tent, a canteen, a vital kit, and some other gear. Somehow in my little brain I equated Church with Cub Scouts, and specifically with camping. That summer Kevin and I camped out in his backyard in that very tent, and despite the dew we each had a pretty good night's rest.
Each of these stories are little pieces of the puzzle that makes up my faith life. Too often we fall into the trap of assuming that evangelism requires this one big moment. What I've found is that these little moments add up, and over time lead to a person experiencing faith.
But if you assume that it has to be this big, grand moment when the right message is proclaimed and someone surrenders to Jesus, then you run the risk of not telling your stories. Those stories can be the puzzle pieces in someone else's life. They will add value to the person(s) who hear them. So what's stopping you from sharing them?
Be sure to like and follow my Facebook Page to keep up on what's happening. I've been working hard on my Storytelling Report so it should be available in a few weeks. But in the meantime, tell your stories.
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