I am now in the process of preparing to teach the basics of Oral Bible Storytelling in Kigoma, Tanzania this fall. I have been trying to decide which 12-15 stories to share and discuss that I think would be good for the Bible college students to learn. I have been asked to use stories that deal with God's love for us and His forgiveness; God's care and compassion for us; and God's provision for us. Do you know how many stories in the Bible cover those topics? Let's see!! I'll make a guess. Whenever I ask my husband for cash, he asks how much I want and I always say, "$1,387". So if you ask me how many Bible stories speak to the above issues, I will make a guess of 1,387. I don't know exactly how many Bible stories there are but maybe someday when I have nothing else to do with my time(ha!ha!) I will sit down and count them all. That way if the question of how many Bible stories there are comes up in a trivia quiz, I can answer correctly. Well, I have digressed. Now back to narrowing the choice of stories to 12-15. Some of the stories I have chosen are ones I learned when I attended a Simply the Story workshop. They include Jars of Oil, The Shunamite Woman, One Leper, and Jesus Feeding The 5,000.
I love Jars of Oil which is found in 2 Kings 4:1-7. I don't remember ever hearing this story before I went to the Simply the Story workshop last summer. Here is a widow with two sons who are about to be sold as slaves. She goes to a man of God for help. Elisha tells her to take the little oil she has and go around and ask all of her neighbors for empty jars. Not just one jar, or two, or even three. Then she is to take her sons and go into their house and fill the empty jars with oil and as each one is filled to set it to one side. And she does exactly what he says to do without saying a word. I would have looked at Elisha and said, "Are you nuts? I just have this small amount of oil and you want me to do what?
You're crazy!!! And yet she was able to keep her mouth shut(an almost impossible task for some women), trust in God, and obey. I sure wish I could do that. There are times God will speak to my heart about something I should do and I have so much to say. "You've got to be kidding, Lord." "I can't do that." "Tell me to do something else." But this woman says nothing.
I know God was speaking to me when he said, "Shawn, go to Tanzania and share what you have learned about oral Bible storytelling." I have had plenty to say in response but God has listened to my worries, my doubts, my fears and reassured my heart that this is what He wants me to do. So how can I question Him?. I will be still and know that He is my God. Well, as still as I can possibly be.
