Books

I have come to love stories as much as anything in this life, and the simple reason is this: When God began to speak more deeply to my heart, when His presence and His words truly touched me for the fi rst time, it was through stories. All kinds of stories—some in the Bible, many from Christian fi ction, but also stories from everyday life, especially the movies. And He has never stopped speaking to me in this way.

I may be more sensitive to this “language” than others because I was a psychoanalytic psychologist for over thirty years who was trained to not get distracted by the details on the surface, the words that come out of people’s mouths , but to always listen for the themes down below, the core issues of their hearts. But I have learned that everyone can listen in this way. Jesus thought so too, or He would have never spoken in parables.

And so, every time I hear a new story—from the lips of a friend, or a book, or a movie—I get excited. I am listening for what God might be trying to say to me. He speaks more clearly in the Bible, but He can speak through any story, no matter the author. For you see, He is the Author of all things. My hope is that the stories in this volume will speak to you, will encourage and inspire. But I especially hope one or two will speak to you very specifi cally in an area of need in your life, for that is the reason they were written. May God use them to meet you in the most intimate place, touch you, and begin to guide you along the better path.