The Interpretation We All Need

I've written about the Jesus Story Book Bible several times before, but it is so important.

It sounds silly that I so often sit reading a children's book but it is simple.

Simple isn't bad.

Simple isn't silly.

It's basic.

It's essential.

It's life giving.

It is water to a thirsty soul.

My friend Tina suffers from pretty serious depression. She has had a heavy load to bear, and it got heavier when her dad died in April. When she came to visit me in March, because she was tired and needed rest and didn't know where to go, I provided the best that I could. I listened. I tried. I sat. I hugged. I prayed. I lamented with her. I mourned with her. I gave her Reese's cups and we worshiped and sometimes we cried but sometimes we laughed.

And we sat, reading, on my bed, drinking coffee.

And she looked at me and said,

"Kate, have you ever dealt with depression?"

I breathed heavy, "No, Tina, I never have"

"People who haven't been depressed don't understand what it's like"

"Tell me, Tina. How do you feel"

"I feel trapped. Like my mind is a prison. Because I know in my head that God is good and that He has blessed me with people who love me but I keep telling myself it's all a lie and that my friends don't really like me and my dad has quit on me and that God could never love me. Every minute of my day is a battle, and every night is filled with nightmares and I am exhausted. I want it to be so "

I'm at a loss for words. I muster some up and say, "Thank you, Christina for sharing that. You are brave. You are strong. You are empty, always waiting to be filled with the exact amount of grace you need for each moment"

She hands me a picture book. "Have you ever seen this? It's wonderful. It's the Gospel for children, all throughout the Bible"

I didn't know how this related to what we were talking about.

I read,

"You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children - with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. And though they would forget him, and run from him, deep in their hearts, God's children would miss him always, and long for him - lost children yearning for their home...'I'm going to do battle against the snake. I'll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I'm coming back for you!' And he would. One day, God himself would come"

And I felt it.

I felt the breath of fresh air rush through my soul, right over the fountain of living water.

I looked up, and she said, "Sometimes I am so tired I can't read my Bible. And I'm too scared to face God. But I read this and He reaches me"

When you are tired, you don't want to go mattress shopping. You just want a place to rest your head.

When you're thirsty, you don't need a hundred choices of exotic drinks. You just need a glass of water.

When life is hard and complicated, sometimes, you just need a little bit more simple.

And so this children's interpretation has found its home with me. At school, it was in my backpack with me every day, for breaks in the library and moments of being overwhelmed. And now it rests on the table right next to my bed, always ready to be delved into, even for five minutes of filling.