IDEAS ON YOUR TREE

First Chronicles lists the members of the family tree from Adam to Abraham. Reading through this book can become rather monotonous for the faithful read-through-the-Bible reader. But, each name represents a unique person with his own story.

Authors are often asked where their ideas come from. Such answers include: newspaper stories, listening to people talk, sermons, other stories, dreams.

Here is an idea to try. Take a look at your family tree. Flip through old photo albums or scrapbooks. Look up your family on an ancestry website. As you look into these documents, note occupations, events, and tragedies.

Choose an ancestor and research more about that person. You might even ask older members of your family about this person. Secure any documents like newspapers that speak of this person. Do a bit of research about the time period the person lived.

Now set aside the factual documents and imagine meeting this person back in the time they lived. Write a description of the person just like any character you would place into a story. What you don’t know about the person, make up.

Find an event from that time period or use an event you discovered in your research of your ancestor. Now, write a scene in which your character experiences your event.

Reread your character description and scene. Brainstorm – let your mind wander.

Do you see a potential story blooming from your research? Go for it!

You are a member of a family tree, and God placed you in this time and in your family. This lineage was published in the Bible at God’s inspiration. Why? One reason might be that every person is important and has his or her place in God’s eyes. He has given each person gifts and abilities and made them unique to accomplish the plan He has for them.

Fast forward about one hundred years. Someone is looking at the family tree and finds your name. As you are researched, the person finds out about you and the things you accomplished or events you were in involved in. Write out a short description of what the researcher learns about you.

More than likely this description reveals the dreams God has planted inside of you that you wish to accomplish in your life. Work to make it come true.