The poor thing had been in a piled heap of bits and pieces on a dusty dresser for months, waiting for someone to show it some love.
Normally, I wouldn't care to take the time to put it all back together. I mean, the boys have plenty of books.
But this book is different.
If you're a Christian mom of young kids, you may have heard of it by now. I just want to add my voice.
It is a treasure.
When my sweet friend gave it to me as a gift for Isaiah, I was really looking forward to watching him enjoy it. I had no idea it would have such an impact on me.
There are very few stories I can read without choking up (and I don't think Josh would mind me telling you that it has the same effect on him). They are just downright worshipful because at the end of every single one, the author points you back to Jesus in a way that ties everything God has ever done together.
The words beautifully draw your heart to see the love of the Father for His children, and His grand purpose to point us to His Son....in everything. It continues to transform my perspective... turning all the little individual stories into one great, big, amazing, epic love story....straight from God's heart to us.
Of course, it was God's plan that we see that. It was His masterful design. It's His Word....I just miss it all the time.
Here's an excerpt we read this morning called "A little girl and a poor frail lady" (this just happened to be my favorite bible story as a little girl):
"Just then, Jairus' servent rushed up to Jairus. 'It's too late,' he said breathlessly.
'Your daughter is dead.'
Jesus turned to Jairus. 'It's not too late,' Jesus said.
'Trust me.'
At Jairus' house everyone was crying. But Jesus said,
'I'm going to wake her up.'
Everyone laughed at him because they knew she was dead.
Jesus walked into the little girl's bedroom. And there, lying in the corner,
in the shadows, was the still little figure. Jesus sat on the bed and took her pale hand.
'Honey,' he said, 'it's time to get up.'
And he reached down into death and gently brought the little girl back to life.
The little girl woke up, rubbed her eyes as if she'd just had a good night's sleep
and leapt out of bed.
Jesus threw open the shutters and sunlight flooded the dark room.
'Hungry?' Jesus asked. She nodded.
Jesus called to her family, 'Bring this little girl some breakfast!'
Jesus helped and healed many people, like this. He made blind people see.
He made deaf people hear. He made lame people walk.
Jesus was making the sad things untrue.
He was mending God's broken world."
There is absolutely no perk in this for me, other than knowing some of you may be blessed by this book like our family has been. I even gave it as a gift to a friend who had just become a Believer.
I really can't say enough about it.
I sincerely hope you get your hands on one (whether you have kids or not!).
'Your daughter is dead.'
Jesus turned to Jairus. 'It's not too late,' Jesus said.
'Trust me.'
At Jairus' house everyone was crying. But Jesus said,
'I'm going to wake her up.'
Everyone laughed at him because they knew she was dead.
Jesus walked into the little girl's bedroom. And there, lying in the corner,
in the shadows, was the still little figure. Jesus sat on the bed and took her pale hand.
'Honey,' he said, 'it's time to get up.'
And he reached down into death and gently brought the little girl back to life.
The little girl woke up, rubbed her eyes as if she'd just had a good night's sleep
and leapt out of bed.
Jesus threw open the shutters and sunlight flooded the dark room.
'Hungry?' Jesus asked. She nodded.
Jesus called to her family, 'Bring this little girl some breakfast!'
Jesus helped and healed many people, like this. He made blind people see.
He made deaf people hear. He made lame people walk.
Jesus was making the sad things untrue.
He was mending God's broken world."
There is absolutely no perk in this for me, other than knowing some of you may be blessed by this book like our family has been. I even gave it as a gift to a friend who had just become a Believer.
I really can't say enough about it.
I sincerely hope you get your hands on one (whether you have kids or not!).
2 comments:
We love it, too! It won't be long until we will have to buy a new one. The binding is about to give out; we've read it and looked at it so much. I love how every single story, without exception points to Christ and the history of redemption!
We love ours, too! I will admit that I keep it in my room on my bookshelf because I don't want Jacob tearing it up, but we still read it together. I think that Jacob loves it because it is one of the most colorful books he has, but I love it because of the way the stories are told. It really is beautiful. Thanks again, Dana!!
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