“Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb.”
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From Story to Song, Parable, Poetry, Metaphor, and So Much More
Creation speaks through imagery and sound, there is a language to understanding its voice, and there is a Creator behind the Creation reaching out to you and me―oftentimes in cloaked and creative language. That’s what this book is about.
As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Why is that? Pictures can instantly convey things that no amount of ordinary vocabulary can successfully communicate. Think of the movie that moved you to tears, or fear, or anger, or compassion. Clearly there was the visual element, but then there was also the soundtrack that enhanced it. There is something about pictures, and music, and stories that reaches us emotionally. We are speaking here of the language of the heart.
How can you have a similar effect from the written word? Enter poetry and metaphor. There is a rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, and cadence, all of which are musical in poetry; and metaphors are word pictures. These are all vehicles that help us communicate powerfully with one another. Would it not, therefore, make sense that if our Creator wanted to communicate with us powerfully, the creative vehicles of choice would be pictures, music, stories, poetry, metaphor, and more?
Think of it: two of the primary ways Jesus, the great communicator, spoke were parables (truth wrapped in a story) and metaphors (or word pictures that are symbolic of a deeper truth). Additionally, He said we must become as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. How is this relevant to the topic at hand? What does a child say at bedtime? “Tell me a story, Daddy. Mommy, sing me a song.” When we communicate in the language of the heart, we feel it in our core, and we own it. It is for this reason the author believes that this is so often how the Voice of God chooses to deliver important truths.
Lamentably, too often grown-ups have grown out of the receptivity of a child. Speech Distilled as Dew was written to recapture and restore the creative richness, beauty, and wonder of how the Living Word of God delights to captivate us. From pictures “worth a thousand words,” to dance, choreography, riddles, rhyme, proverbs, and allegory, what is presented in the contents of these pages was designed to be an artistic feast from the banquet table of the Master Storyteller and Artist of artists. Woven throughout are testimony, teaching, and opportunities for personal reflection and application.
This is an invitation to you, the reader, to expand the palette of your understanding of communication from a Maker who longs to have you recognize the Voice calling out to you and wooing you into a deeper relationship. May you “taste and see” that God is good.
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