INTRODUCTION
We can spend a lot of time concerned with whether or not God is paying any attention to us. It's probably better to spend that time being concerned about whether or not we're paying any attention to Him.
You see, God is speaking. He's always speaking. It was the first thing He did. What about us? Do we fill the silence with the sound of our own voice, or do we listen?
Do you know what God does when He has something really important that he wants to say to us? Do you know what miracle He performs; what amazing sign He uses? When God has something important to say to us, He tells us a story.
It works, doesn't it? Stories are a guaranteed way to get someone's attention. When you're talking to someone and their eyes are glazing over, looking this way and that for an escape route, try the line, “That reminds me of a story…” and see what happens.
The Bible itself is a story. An adventure story. A war story. A love story. Jesus never taught about the Kingdom of God without telling a story. Read the book of Acts and see how the early Church shared Jesus by using people's own stories. You see, stories aren't really about communicating facts. They're really about communicating a vision of how things could be. You just need to listen carefully. We shouldn’t be surprised that such tiny things as stories can carry such a big vision. After all, when you put a shell no bigger than your hand to your ear, don’t you hear the entirety of all the oceans?
So here are some stories. Read them and listen. This is not a place to find doctrine, but it may be a place to hear a still, small voice. This may not be a place to find answers, but it may be a place to have your curiosity aroused and to start you off on a life-changing quest. I can't guarantee that God will show up while you're reading them, but it may be a place for the Holy Spirit to confirm something that He has already been whispering to your heart. It may be a comfortable place. It may be an unsettling place. It may just be a place that brings a smile to your face. They are just stories after all. God does the heavy lifting, as long as we are paying attention.
So, pick up that shell and listen. Will you hear the sea, or just silence? Or maybe something else entirely…