The Stories We Hear

This summer I’m spending some time with the titles for parents…that you won’t find in the Parenting section. You can see the full list in our Mended Wood Library Guide.

Trevin Wax’s 2017 title This is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Light of the Gospel is a book that you parents might skip reading on your own, and go right to the part where you read it alongside your teen. In fact, when I was called upon to teach a worldview class to high schoolers, this book served as one of my spine texts. It provides a great way to think about the world, one that your kids are probably already familiar with: “What story is it telling?”

Wax contends that the myths in today’s society tell about the longing that every person holds, one that is answered by a lie or the truth. He examines the messages of smartphone culture, Hollywood, consumerism, sex, and more. Rather than either retreating from or approving of untruths, Christians ought to remain faithful and joyful as we run our race.

Why This Book is Good for Parents

1. The tone of this book is truthfully hopeful. Though it’s covering many areas that might be upsetting or discouraging to Christian parents, the author maintains a joyful outlook, understanding that God is still on His throne.
   • “Numbering our days [Psalm 90:12] means we recognize the providence of our births, and we recognize that until the other side of the dash on our tombstones is settled, we must cultivate and apply biblical wisdom in this—our time. Wisdom draws on the resources of the past, looks to the promise of the future, and relies on the Spirit’s guidance in the present.” (p. 206)
2. The author is also a good storyteller himself, and the chapters unfold in a clear and winsome way, with plenty of illustrations to help explain the point.
3. The idea that culture deals in stories, some true, some false, is a helpful grid for parents and kids to use as a shorthand for cultural conversations. Even when the topic isn’t covered in the book, we are able to use this framework with our kids’ questions—especially because they are kids who were raised on good stories.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

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Kelly Keller

Kelly Keller is the managing editor of Story Warren. She has her BS in Elementary Education from Messiah University and has taught various ages, but her favorite was worldview and literature with high school students. The “gap” in her resume is actually a window of eighteen years of homeschooling, which she recommends as an effective, though demanding, way of expanding one’s home library.

When she’s not behind her laptop, Kelly enjoys live music, baseball, reading great books, and traveling with her husband, David. Kelly hails from beautiful snowy New England, but after two decades in North Carolina, she feels right at home.

She invites you to subscribe to her newsletter, On the Common, or to follow her on Instagram.

Latest posts by Kelly Keller (see all)

• Story Warren Weekend, Vol. 14, Issue 25 - July 11, 2026
• Pearls Before Breakfast - July 6, 2026
• The Stories We Hear - July 6, 2026