Tell Me A Story
“Once upon a time.” I began and Stella snuggled closer beneath the leopard print throw. “There was a star high up in the sky.” I paused for dramatic effect. “A star named Stella.”
“No,” said Stella, leaning forward and peering up at me, bronze curls dangling. Her expression much too serious for a three-year-old. “A printh-thess.”
“Oh, of course, a princess.” How could I have been so silly? I laughed and continued. “A princess named Stella.”
“Yeah. And she was Cinderella.” Her brown eyes twinkled, satisfied that she had the story going in the right direction. She tipped her sippy cup for another swig of chocolate milk.
I puzzled over how the princess was both Stella and Cinderella, but no matter. Whatever Princess Stella wanted…
“In my hand, I held a little green book no bigger than a deck of cards.”
In my hand, I held a little green book no bigger than a deck of cards. A New Testament that includes the Psalms and Proverbs, embossed in gold with a Gideons logo. Anytime she comes to my house, my granddaughter brings me the book and says, “Read me a story.” We snuggle together in my big white chair, my feet on the ottoman, while I thumb through the pages pretending to look for just the right tale.
The stories must include three things. They must begin with “once upon a time”, Stella must have the starring role, and she must always be a princess. From there, the tales go in various directions. Usually, they end with the prince defeating a dreadful foe and whisking the princess away to his kingdom. There she will live happily-ever-after in a beautiful castle. Sometimes the supporting cast includes a brother and sister and a brave dog named Judah.
All three of my grandchildren have loved to hold the little book. The older two have outgrown this, but Stella still looks for it every time she comes. I think it has to do with the feel of it in her hand. It’s like a grown up’s book, but fits nicely into her toddler-sized grip. Sometimes, she carries it around in her play-purse. Sometimes, she climbs into the cozy chair and pretends to read from it to a trio of stuffed bears.
One day after my adventures with Princess Stella came to an end and she returned home, I did my usual sweep of the house, returning things to order. Tucking the little green Bible into the drawer, I thought of those sweet moments in the chair and the fanciful tales of the princess. Perhaps I shouldn’t be pretending to read such stories from the Bible. What might some people think? Would they consider it irreverent, even sacrilegious?
“What are the stories we tell ourselves?”
I pulled the book out again and thumbed through its thin pages, the age-old narrative playing out in my mind. It occurred to me then that perhaps the stories I shared with my granddaughter weren’t quite as far-fetched as I’d thought. After all, doesn’t the bible recount the story of a King, whose Beloved was taken captive by an evil and cunning foe? Doesn’t it describe the thrilling and heart-wrenching journey of One who left His throne on a rescue mission? A prince, Who wins the day and invites His bride to live forever in His kingdom.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
What are the stories we tell ourselves? What do we believe about ourselves and who we are? My friends, we were created for a purpose, crafted with care, given a hope and a future. The one and only Son of God laid down His life to defeat our enemy, and then He rose to live again so we wouldn’t even have to fear death. He’s called us to live a life of abundance in His kingdom. Don’t take my word for it. It’s all in the Book. The greatest story ever told.
I hope Stella always sees herself as a princess, valued and loved. I hope she doesn’t soon tire of our special story time, and that she’ll remember it always. More than that, I hope someday, she opens the Bible and finds herself in its story. The Beloved, treasured above all else by the King of the whole universe. I hope she understands the true story of One who loved her so much He gave up everything, so that He could win for her everything and offer her an eternal Kingdom life.