Share Your Story
“I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
Ephesians 4:1
A few years ago, we went on vacation to Alaska. We started in Fairbanks, in the center of the state, then went north by small plane to Wiseman — which had a population of 18 — above the Artic Circle. There, we met Jack. He showed us his home and talked about how he lived by working with a plan on how to survive the seasons’ changes. Sometimes he repaired his log cabin, sometimes he hunted to fill his below-ground freezer in the permafrost, and sometimes he tended his vegetable patch. Jack had solar panels that only worked during the summer and used a generator during winter.
Days later, on our travels south, we were driven on a bus by Lindy, a native of Alaska. His people are the Athabaskans and are centered along the Yukon River. Lindy told us about his childhood and recounted stories in his native Koyukon language, which he translated and interpreted their meaning.
One story Lindy’s mother told him regarded plants. Some are called flowers and they come in many assorted colors and shapes. Some are tall and straight. Some are bent over. We are only on this Earth for a few minutes and when you walk on the Earth, you will encounter plants — also known as people — who are upright and some who are bent over. Young ones grow up and are full of life. They begin straight and grow away from home. They are scattered by the wind. Bent plants are those that are disabled with different afflictions, either physically or mentally. However, they have a purpose and a value in life, and they all have their own stories to tell. It is through the stories passed down from each generation that we learn.
Many times, I have been reminded of the stories and parables that Jesus told. How He would talk and then interpret His message so that the listener could fully understand the meaning of what he was saying. It was his way of teaching.
We can learn much from the stories and the lives of others. Lindy was proud to tell us that he, Jack and most Athabaskans are Episcopalians. He shared part of his story with strangers as an act of his love for God and creation. Will you share your story with others?
