4 Kids Books That Help Me Follow Jesus Better

Unless you have young kids or teach them, you are unlikely to browse the children's section of your library or bookstore. Some people may assume children's books are childish, simplistic, and below them. They couldn't be more wrong. Kingdom lessons come in unexpected places. The simplicity of these stories shrouds weighty truths.

Jesus said that unless you become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3). Perhaps that's why children's stories can be so powerful. They let us strip away our pretense and see the world as God intends. Like children. Like our Father, who as Chesterton says "is younger than us." For those of us who have sinned and grown old, children's stories can be our bridge to the kingdom.

My list contains books from a variety of reading levels. They are all books found in children's sections. Despite there apparent simplicity, all these books have had an impact on the way I live my life. All these books that have moved me to follow Jesus better. Maybe they can help you. 

Loser by Jerry Spinelli

Donald Zinkoff is that unflappably friendly kid. He isn't good at sports or school work. He doesn't care when people laugh at him. It makes him happy that others are laughing. In fact, Zinkoff never seems to hold any regard for himself or his preferences. He will do whatever it takes to help others and make them happy. But this seldom wears him down. Zinkoff, despite his label expresses pure joy again and again. 

Seldom have I seen a character that so exemplified the kingdom of God where the last are first and servants are the greatest. I don't want to give away too much, but one of the best things about Loser is how the hero is not given the hero's reception that we often expect at the end of a story. Sacrificial love doesn't earn Zinkoff the respect of most of his peers. But the love he exemplifies will capture your heart and your holy imagination.

The Teddy Bear by David McPhail

The boy and the teddy bear are inseparable.  But one fateful day, the boy looses his favorite teddy bear at a diner. The bear is thrown away and recovered by a homeless man. The man finds great comfort in the bear, taking him everywhere as he treks the lonely streets of the city. The man and the bear are now inseparable.  A chance encounter between the man and boy will leave few eyes dry. 

The Teddy Bear exemplifies sacrificial love in a way that is applicable to children.  It teaches us the value of people versus the value of things. It also introduces homelessness with compassion and humanity. Fitting for followers of a homeless King.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Most of you have probably read this one at some point in your life. The tree gives something to the boy, piece by piece  until there is nothing left but a stump. "And the tree was happy."

There are two main themes that reverberate throughout this simple tale. They are two sides of the same coin. First, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35) The tree finds joy in sacrificially giving to the boy. Why do we so often deny ourselves this joy. Secondly, the things we think will make us happy are temporary. The boy always needs something else to maintain his happiness. Think about it. Who has more joy? The boy who gets what he wants, or the tree who gives it to him? 

"And the tree was happy."

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia are purposefully pregnant with spiritual themes. They are wonderful teaching tools for children and adults alike. The Voyage in particular brings about two wonderfully interwoven themes. Transformation, and Adventure.

The heart of this story is about a boy whose name was Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. Eustace is introduced as an obnoxious know-it-all, the kid that gets on everyone's nerves. Eustace is transfixed on himself and his problems. In his mind everyone is against him, and so he subsequently is against everyone.  When Eustace and his cousins are magically transported to Narnia, Eustace misses the adventure and wonder the other kids experience.  He spends all his time complaining and devising a way to get home.

Half way through the story, Eustace is brought face to face with his true self, when he is physically transformed into the dragon that long resided in his heart. But the beauty of this story is Eustaces transformation. Aslan, the lion that represents Jesus shows Eustace his inability to remove his dragon skin, and then removes it for him, washing him and returning him to his human form. 

Then comes the adventure. And Eustace and his companions see plenty of it. The story shows us Eustace on better days and his worse as he and his companions journey ever closer to Aslan's country.

Becoming like Jesus begins with something we can't do. It begins with our absolute dependence on God to kill the old man and make us new. But it is also a lifelong process. It is a struggle filled with both good and bad days.  But the journey, once begun is an incredible adventure. Don't miss out on the adventure of a life of following Jesus.

Let's Talk about Fasting

We don't talk about fasting much in Christian circles. But in the anonymity provided by the Web people more freely express their views. I searched several online forums about the topic and here is what people are saying.

"Fasting doesn't work for me. When I'm hungry, I feel I have to eat something."

"No one can possibly concentrate on God when they are craving food. "

"It is not a commandment in the Bible although there is nothing wrong with doing it if you feel the need"

And my personal favorite

" Yes many christians fast for a small amount of time like a day or 2. but some really hardcore christians with mental problems will do it for like a week. because they say it makes them closer to god."

I've never had such awkward moments around other Jesus followers as the times it came up that I was fasting. First there was the decision if I should even tell them. Do they, "need to know." Because if it isn't absolutely essential for them to know, then my telling them would just be boasting. I am a Pharisee and my fast counts for nothing. Then if I don't tell them right away, and it comes up later, like when we set down to eat, it's even more awkward because I have left out a pretty important part of my life which also affects them. 

Then there are the reactions. Some people decline to eat around me as if it would be just too painful  for me to see someone eat. Some eventually eat but looked rather sheepish about it. Several people quietly admit they should probably try fasting too, or explain why they can't. In the middle of my seven day fast, I was talking with a dear brother whom I have the utmost respect for, and when my fast finally came up in conversation he said, "Well at least you weren't trying to tell me about it." as if I would have been committing a mortal sin had I brought it up at the beginning of the conversation.

The Bible has a lot to say about fasting. Yet I have seldom heard it brought up without a reference to Matthew 6:16-18.  The misuse of these words of Jesus only help keep this valuable spiritual exercise at the fringe of our  faith community. Here is what Jesus actually said.

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (NIV)

The hypocrites disfigured themselves so that everyone who walked by them on the street would immediately know they were fasting. It became their super-religious identity. "Look at me, I'm holy because I'm fasting." So Jesus warns not to make a public spectacle of yourself and show off the fact that you are fasting. He never says not to tell anyone. In my private conversations with friends and family, there is no reason why I should feel weird about telling them I am undertaking a major spiritual exercise. 

Ironically, I could talk all day about prayer, and no one would feel awkward. No one sees any boasting when I say, "I'm praying for you." But if I added, "And I'm fasting too," then suddenly people are offended. This is hypocrisy.

We are so uncomfortable talking about fasting because fasting is uncomfortable. I don't think very many Christians fast. It's hard to say for sure, because they never talk about it if they do. But unlike prayer, or Bible reading, the two socially acceptable Christian disciplines, fasting goes against the grain of both our culture, and our fleshly appetites. Being reminded about fasting reminds us how wealthy excessive and undisciplined we really are. It may even make us feel guilty to hear someone talk about it.

We need to talk about Fasting
There are several reasons why we must buck the trend and bring fasting out of the shadows.

1. Jesus did it (Matt 4:2). He also made it clear that he expected his followers too (Matt 6:16, Mark 2:20). That alone should tell us that fasting has value. 

2. Christians throughout the ages have found great spiritual benefit in fasting. They also weren't afraid to talk about it. Read the writings of many great Christians through the ages -  Tertullian, Augustine, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis de Sales, John Wesley, Andrew Murray  - and see how often fasting comes up. It has only become obscure in recent history. Why?

3. Fasting, as we discover in the Bible, was often a communal event( Leviticus 23:27, Acts 13:2-3). It was usually meant to be a spiritual exercise for the community, bringing the community together. It's also a lot easier to make it through a fast knowing others are going through the same thing with you.

4. Fasting is more complicated than just not eating for a while. We need to be taught why and how. We need mature disciples to mentor the newer ones on the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, Bible study, and fasting.

5. Our culture is plagued by excess and self-gratification. The followers of Jesus are often just as caught up in it as the rest of society. We are seriously ill.  Fasting is not the cure, Fasting helps clear away the clutter so we can find the Cure. 

A Different Kind of Hunger: Day Six: Excess

Please excuse my humble attempt at poetry. If you want to read good poetry, visit my friend Lance Schaubert. This is just an expression of ideas and feelings that have been running through my head the last few days.

Tomorrow, the seventh and final day of my fast, I will take a Sabbath from writing. I do plan on writing a follow-up within a few days.



Excess

Slowly stagger drunkenly
From golden arches' plenty
Venti frapiccino now
Thirty pounds overweight. How?

Clothes make the man so they say
The best deals found on Ebay
Ralph Lauren. Guess, Armani
Prada, Chanell, Versace.

All the cool kids use Apple
Macbook or status symbol
Don't drive Chevy, Lexus please
Soon increasing interest fees.

A thousand commercials speak
So you can't hear yourself think
Beyond not empty stomach
Or plastic in your wallet.



Few have stopped to learn this thing
Beauty is in suffering
Glory follows agony
Pain begets a symphony.

Homeless man, why so happy?

Without all of this plenty

No shirt no shoes no service

No place to rest. Like Jesus.

Less is more and more is less
Can we leave all this excess
And learn to love the simple
Find hope while we are able.

It's not too late.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. - James 1:9-10

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” - Luke 12:15

A Different Kind of Hunger: Day Five: It's Not About Me

Today wasn't a great day. 
As I type, I'm nursing a headache I've had for at least three hours now. I don't really feel hungry, but every time someone mentions food, I actually feel the vacancy in my stomach for a couple seconds. This evening, I yelled at my daughter for a minor infraction. I had to apologize to her later. I just feel cranky and tired. 

Fasting is not a magic shield against life. It actually makes life more real, the good and the bad. It's like removing the tented lens you've always looked through. Sunsets are more beautiful and sacred. Traffic is more annoying. 

I think we sometimes think God owes us something because we fast or do other acts of worship toward him. As if my fasting does anything for God. It does not benefit Him in any way. He does not owe me any special blessing or shield against trouble because I fast.

On the contrary, I owe God everything. 
He provided the air I breath and the ground I walk on. He provided the water I drink. He gave me a family that loves and supports me. He saw fit that I should get in on the mystery that is Jesus, and be a part of Jesus' family.  He has given me grace in so many situations, forgiving my trespasses, and giving me hope for the future. 

As with any act of worship, I am not the center. Fasting is not about me. It doesn't really matter if I feel good about it, if I feel blessed. It only matters that I focus myself upon the One who deserves my attention, and through this worship, align my life to give a small token back to him. Fasting is a small token.

 I am not more Godly because I fast. I fast because I am not more Godly.

A Different Kind of Hunger: Day 4: Really Living

Jesus came that we would have life to the full (John 10:10) But most of us don't actually live out much of this life. We sacrifice really living for comfort and safety.

Today I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) with my five year old son, Levi. He came in third in the 19 and under age division (which has nothing to do with my  point today, but I have to brag a little). I drank a little broth and juice and I feel surprisingly fine. Although the race was fairly easy for me, because I ran with Levi and not to compete, I still got those feelings I always get about 200 meters into a race. That thought enters my mind for just a second. This is hard. Why am I doing this? I'd rather be sitting on my couch watching football and stuffing my face with Cheetos than running a race.

Comfort is easy, especially for Americans. Most of us have the access to comfort and safety most of the time. Even if you have a  physically challenging job, you can still come home, sit in the easy chair, turn on the TV and live in relative comfort. Safety is also not too difficult. Our society is so obsessed with safety, that it takes a conscious choice to do anything that would put yourself in any kind of jeopardy. Comfort and Safety are easy, but they aren't living.

During the last four days of my fast, there are many times I had thoughts similar thoughts to what went through my mind during the race. This is hard. Why am I doing this. I'd much rather be eating whatever I am smelling right now than fasting. The answer I give myself is this. I can eat anytime I want. I have spent my whole life eating, and will spend the rest of my life eating. Why would I waste the opportunity to experience a seven day fast at least once in my life? I've experienced full many times. Now I get to experience hunger. I've experienced indulgence many times. For once I get to experience restraint. This is really living.

Far too many give up on really living for the sake of safety and comfort. They never experience the beauty of a 20 mile hike, the accomplishment of finishing a marathon, the satisfaction of giving sacrificially to help those in need, the joy of learning to discipline their bodies. There is a world of amazing experiences out there. None of them are easy. Most of them are worth it. If you want to follow Jesus, live life to the full.

A Different Kind of Hunger: Day Three: A Steady Stream

Three Days.
This is now the longest fast I have ever done. 

I felt nauseous and weak this morning. I took a little juice mixed with water, and was soon feeling pretty normal. I felt ok most of the day and didn't feel too hungry until dinner time, even though I went to two birthday parties.  As the afternoon wore on I began feeling some gas pain in my abdomen. I also felt colder than normal, and a bit more irritable at the kids.

Megan got the kids pizza ($3.99 large at Dominos, what a deal!). When I smelled the pizza I knew that pizza was the answer to all my problems. It would make me happy, and full. It would make all my pain go away. Pizza would give me instant energy. It would even make me love my children more. Pizza is life!

This morning I read the account of Jesus fasting for 40 days in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It seems like Jesus went into the wilderness in order to be tempted. Fasting is not a magic shield against temptation and fleshly desire. In fact, the fasting directly led to Satan's first big temptation - break the fast. Use your Jesus powers to make bread and eat it. After all, you know you can.

I don't have Jesus powers to make stone into bread, but I have the power to eat. My house is full of food. There are dozens of restaurants and stores within a mile of my house to go get a hot meal. Maybe that's why Jesus went to the wilderness to fast. In fact, The only people the Bible mentions doing a 40 day fast (Moses Elijah, and Jesus) did so in the wilderness alone. Might be something to that.

I love how Jesus answered Satan. The reason he didn't break his fast - "Man does not live on bread alone." He knew bread could satiate his hunger, but it could not satisfy all his needs. He could not abandon the greater need to satisfy the lesser.

Here's how The Message puts it, "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.” (Matt 4:4) I've been trying to meditate on these words throughout the day.

We think we can't live one day without food, which is false, but we think hearing God's voice is optional. Maybe on Sunday, or whenever we get to it. We have it backwards. We need a steady stream of words from God. We need it more than food. And when we miss it we are missing a big part of life.

Oh how I want to get to the point where a day without hearing from God, without meditating on his words leaves me feeling the hunger I feel today. My aim is to want to be with God more than I want a hot cheesy slice of pizza. Every once in a while I am there for a few brief moments. Those are the best moments.


If you want to know a more complete story of my journey into fasting. Check out the rest of the series.
A Different Kind of Hunger
Day One: Feelings
Day Two: Waking up Hungry