
Because of the preference for no teaching, the book includes only the stories and a brief preface for the storyer. The concept for the book was based on a doctoral study that detailed the practice of certain Asian women who gathered to tell their misfortune stories as a way of discharging their emotions. The stories are arranged chronologically but can be used in any order as a resource. The chronological arrangement provides a subtle evangelistic drift that grows more intensive toward the latter stories. The story set has found wide use not only in Asia but among women of other cultures and worldviews.
The Grief Stories met the need of providing witness to women who were not interested in any “Christian” teaching. These women were, however, eager to hear stories of other women who suffered misfortunes of the same type as their own. The concept came from a book telling about the practice in certain Asian countries where women gathered to tell their misfortune stories as a way of discharging their emotions. At the conclusion of each story, a comment showed how God redeemed each woman’s life. The stories have a subtle evangelistic drift that grows more intense toward the latter stories. The stories are provided without formal or organized teaching to lessen perception of unwanted teaching in these resistant cultures. But good stories naturally provoke good discussions and this opens the opportunity for the patient Bible storyer to overcome the original barrier to Christian teaching.