Let justice roll down like mighty waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. ~ Amos 5:24

There is an oasis deep in Ramsey Canyon. As you wander, a cool breeze from the creek catches your cheeks and the shade of tall cliffs embraces you in silence. Snakes, lizards, deer, butterflies, frogs, fungus beetles and the occasional bear call this part of the Huachucas home.

But years ago, people lived up here and mined the mountains to make a living. The stones from old walls remain and a few cabins still stand marking the historic village.

I watched the deep, clear pools in the creek. This used to be someone's bathtub. The history of this secret spot made me curious about this spot more than 100 years ago. It reminded me that there are few places on earth human feet haven't traversed. And even those places are affected by us in some way or another.

Our favorite places in this world are wrapped into human history, brimming with stories about the people we come from. We found an enormous sycamore tree. Kathy (our tour guide and a member of my church) told me that there was a big dance hall built around it in the 1880s. The soldiers would come over from the post on the weekends and dance the night away. If that tree could talk! The sycamore has seen love blossom and break, laughter and tears, and many a soldier who left his rhythm on post.

As you age, you carry more and more stories with you wherever you go. You house sacred memories no one will ever know about or pass along...unless you share them. Tell your children about your faith, even if it doesn't sound like the "right" Christian story or anything extraordinary. Tell them about how you fell in love. Share the biggest mistake you made and show them that you're not perfect. Tell them where they come from and why that matters.

We live in a culture of relativity, but that doesn't mean I'll be telling my grandchildren about Paris Hilton's jail sentence or the buzz about Lebron carrying the Cavaliers to the finals. I'll be telling them the stories that transcend time and teach us all about where we come from. I will tell them about Moses and Elijah, Jesus and Paul. I will teach my daughters that they come from strong and sneaky women in Genesis. I will take my children into the wilderness where they'll learn to watch for deer and build a fire. I will show them the way God made sunsets like fingerprints - unique and telling of our worth in this world. I will teach them every day about the LOVE God has for them and what that means for their lives.

The world consumes us with stories that keep our short term attention and don't actually matter. The world has us sitting inside watching other people live their lives. Listen for the sound of a creek and follow it. Feel the cool breeze on your cheeks and trust that God is still at work in this world. Tell your story. Tell God's story. Know that they go together and are worthy of being shared.