Tell Me a Story, by Jael Roy

My favourite author is God. And before you think I'm just giving a Sunday school answer, let me explain what I mean.

Picking a favourite story is like trying to pick a favourite food. I could say I like mashed potatoes and gravy—but that doesn't tell you much. Would I be referring to the standard cafeteria issue, the instant and grainy variety, slopped over with lumpy-­brown gravy? Or to the mashed into a creamy cloud kind, dripping with butter and cradling perfectly whisked peppercorn sauce? In reality it isn't the potatoes and gravy I like, it's their presentation, their texture, and the collision of delectable tastes. So it is with a story. Even the most classic storyline can be presented in a way that will have the reader (me!) coming back for more. Even the most banal activity can be made into a story. A sower planting seeds comes to mind.

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All it takes is a spark of imagination and a whole forest of thought can be lit. A good author is one who captures my imagination and holds it in a high tower. There I can look out on fantastic vistas and contemplate deep chasms. I can raise my eyes to consider the heavens and my own insignificance, or look to the base of the tower and appreciate its construction. A story, like the tower, is a safe place from which to view life with its diversity of views. I appreciate a well­-made tower, a well-­timed and executed kidnapping, and a good view—but all would be a waste of perfectly good time—of the author's and reader's alike—if the story has no purpose.

This is why post­modernists* make poor story­tellers. Truth is central to a story—even a fictional one. But truth, particularly hard truths, are difficult to swallow on their own. Couched in a story, however, they go down like lemon and honey drops: the tartness off­set by the surrounding sweetness. In my favourite author's Book the harsh reality of sin is surrounded by the story of grace. The horror of the cross is sweetened by the glorious resurrection of the Lord. The inevitability of death can be taken with the certain hope of eternal life.

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I've read a lot of really great books. But only one Book has it all:

Drama: Job is the man who has everything and loses it all. In the face of disaster how will he respond to the God he claims he follows?

Romance: When a young widow follows her mother­-in-­law to a foreign land, what choice does she have but to find any means available to survive? But does God have more in store for her...like a second chance at love?

Suspense: Conspiracy is the name of the game—and it's a deadly one. With the fate of an entire people hanging in the balance, who will prove to be the lynchpin which turns the tide?

Mystery: Who is the spy? When his plans are thwarted again and again, an army commander begins to look for the turncoat. But he's up against a foe he cannot hope to beat.

Action: With her loyalty split between the God of Israel and her husband's allies, Jael is in no position to make a decision that will change the fate of nations. Or is she?

Comedy: Ever heard the expression 'in too deep'? When a prophet of God decides he doesn't like the message, the One who sent him goes to great (and hilarious) depths to get him back on track.

Apocalyptic fantasy: One scroll. Seven seals. Time is running out in the chaos of a world government gone awry. With fantastical creatures appearing from the bowels of the earth and strange signs appearing in the heavens the chance of survival is slim. Will the scroll be opened? And who will be left standing if it is?

God, our Father, has the ability to present a masterful repast of seasoned truth, and the capability of capturing my imagination to show me the world from His unique point of view. He is the genius of genre—weaving all of them into one seamless, multi-­hued garment. Is it any wonder His is the number one best­seller of all time?

*Post­modernists believe there is no definable truth: therefore no morals to guide us, and no purpose to our actions.

JAEL ROY has recently discovered her love (bordering on obsession) of writing. After years of reading novels, especially romance novels, and wishing the authors had written them a little differently or wanting to add sequels, Jael realized she could tweak a story any way she wanted—if she wrote it herself. So one morning she picked up her laptop and wrote The Bridesmaid's Escort, about a professional escort given the task of accompanying a reluctant bridesmaid who sees more in him than he wants her to. Since finishing it, she has also written four others and is working on a sixth.

Jael appreciates a well-written story. She enjoys making readers laugh and giving them the opportunity to think deeply about their Christianity. For her, writing stories is an outlet as she contemplates issues that touch her heart. Find Jael at jay_bin1984@outlook.com, http://jaybin1984.wordpress.com.