Have you ever been asked who was the person who had the most influence over your life? I seem to be asked that question a lot. My answer is always the same. My grandfather is the one person who taught me to be a man, a person of integrity, a husband, and a father. I wish that he had not died before I was born.

Yes, the person who has influenced me most was a man I never met. Every time I gathered with my family, my uncles told me stories about their father, my grandfather. I remember running from my car into my uncle’s house. My brother and sister were happy to see their cousins and play games. I was giddy with the anticipation of meeting my grandfather again through the stories. Those stories shaped me and made me who I am today.

I am now being shaped by the stories of another man I never met. He was a poor carpenter’s son, yet he had the wisdom of one called the Ancient of Days. He has taught me to be a man of God, a disciple, a husband, a father, and a co-heir with Christ. I wake up everyday, giddy with the anticipation of meeting Him again through the story.

How have stories of your heroes shaped your life? How have the stories of Jesus impacted you?