Christmas Stories

My storytelling mentor called this morning to ask for a Christmas story she would tell tomorrow.  She knew I would be able to email her several choices quickly.  I knew without being told, there were two requirements; the story must be easy to learn, and it must hold some truth, not necessarily facts, some truth about the Christmas holiday.

This is the first year in two decades that I’m not performing. Easy as it might seem to the audience, it takes a tremendous amount of energy.  Many times, I feel as if I were digging ditches for an hour. Right now, I just don’t have the energy to do justice to the Christmas stories I love.

While living in Atlanta, the Kuumba Storytellers (kuumba means creativity in Swahili) held a storytelling concert and when I moved home to Devereux, I performed at Powell Grove Baptist Church.  Performing there brought me full circle.  I gave my first Easter speech at three and continued speaking at various programs until I left for college.

My mother told me, “Your voice is your gift.” I didn’t understand, until I became a storyteller.  It comes naturally, almost magically.  This doesn’t negate the long hours of practice it takes to learn a new story and then to deliver it flawlessly.  This is my God given gift.

Telling stories, regardless of the age or size of the audience I feel the presence of God.  It’s hard to explain all that goes on.  One part delivers the story, another attend to the audience and another listen for direction from Spirit.  When it all comes together, I am lost in the story and even distractions become part of the performance.

The gift doesn’t belong to me; it comes through me. I am honored when anyone asks me to share it. Its not Christmas yet, who knows what might happen.