A harried dad is at the airline counter with a busy two-year-old by his side and got unexpected, less-than-upbeat news. He thought his daughter could sit on his lap, but since she is now over two, she has to have her own seat. And it’s going to cost almost a thousand dollars! He tells the agent he needs to make a few calls and will be back. A woman nearby overhears the conversation and, after the dad leaves, tells the gate agent she’d like to pay for the little girl’s ticket . . . and she doesn’t want dad to know who paid. Matthew said it this way: But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. (Matthew 6 3 ESV)
We played that story recently for a group of Christian Music Radio listeners, and they LOVED it! And we hear comments like, “That’s the kind of story I need to face my day.”
Why?
Surrounded by negative, painful stories elsewhere, our listeners love uplifting, heartwarming stories.
My friend Erica Parkerson at KCMS Seattle sent me this recently:
From that article:
“…research has shown that witnessing others’ acts of moral beauty, such as kindness or heroism, triggers “elevation” — a positive and uplifting feeling which experts theorize acts as an emotional reset button, replacing feelings of cynicism with hope, love and optimism.”
Finding and telling good, uplifting, loving, kind stories in a negative, chaotic, angry, judgmental world grows ministry impact.
Put another way, finding and telling GOD stories—stories that show the heart of God—works!
