The Power of Stories by Kelly Flannery
God called me a writer.
He called me a writer long before I was brave enough to claim the title.
So I knew I was a writer. But I didn’t know how to serve God through my writing. It wasn’t until I started working as a writer for a nonprofit that it started to click: It’s all about the stories you tell.
I work for a nonprofit that provides Christ-centered care to children living in poverty. My job is to tell the stories of children and young men and women whose lives have been changed through the nonprofit.
It’s an honor to tell these stories. And it’s an honor I don’t take lightly.
These young people have been through the most desperate possible circumstances. They have known hunger, war, and death. Many of them are orphans. Their families couldn’t afford daily meals, let alone an education.
They should have had no hope for their future. And yet—they persevered.
When they were given food, clean water, education, and the opportunity to learn about God’s love, they could accomplish anything. These children have not only escaped poverty, but have gone on to become doctors, teachers, business owners, and even CEOs.
And all these amazing young people understand something important—the role God played in their story.
That’s why their stories are so precious. They are examples of God’s purpose playing out in a person’s life. Not only that, but they show the reader the role they can play in God’s purpose—how when they give, they can change lives. They show how God uses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.
When I write these stories down, I get to show all this and more to the world. I get to show people they have the power to make a difference. It still baffles me that God is using me in this way.
But you don’t have to work for a nonprofit for your writing to serve God. There are so many incredible stories out there waiting to be told.
You can tell a story about your life. You can tell a made-up story. You can be the voice for someone else and tell their story. All that matters is that you tell the story for God’s glory.
It’s this realization that will guide the rest of my writing life. It’s why I’m so grateful for communities of writers and for publications like Calla Press. Because we need a place to tell stories about God’s love. A place to inspire people and bring them closer to God.
To see the importance of stories, just look to the Bible. It’s a collection of stories that shows us who God is and how he wants us to live. Just think of the important role God gave to those he appointed to write his stories. They are storytellers who changed the world.
All through the Bible, we see how important it is to share stories of God’s grace:
“‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39).
“My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long—though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone” (Psalm 71:15–16).
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” (Psalm 105:1–2).
That’s what you can do with your writing.
This is my encouragement to writers—you have such an important purpose. The world is full of stories. And God has appointed you to write them down.
Kelly Flannery is a writer, editor, marketer, and the founder of Words That Stick. She is a marketing writer for the nonprofit Children of the Nations. She has a BA in English from Northwest University and is a graduate of the University of Washington’s Certificate of Editing program.