A Search for a Solution

Andy and I read Daniel the Bible and pray with him every night before bed.  Daniel likes to pray.  We pray consistently for a specific friend from preschool and her family, for Bob the Tomato on Veggie Tales, and for mommy and daddy.  Andy and I also pray out loud over him – asking the Holy Spirit to direct Daniel’s heart toward the Lord and for him to walk in wisdom.  The praying works.  The Bible reading does not.  Daniel does not like reading his Bible.  Most nights he sees it, pushes it away, says “No Bible” and asks for a “truck book” or a “George book” instead.  I feel like a failure of a Christian mom while I force him to sit through at least one short story in ANY of his four Bibles.  I break out all my old teacher tricks as I read animatedly or just give in and tell the story with sound effects and big hand gestures to keep his interest.

Bible reading is a challenge, and I have definitely come to a point where I could probably recommend a children’s Bible based on your needs as I’ve had experience reading soooo many of them!  One of the Bibles Daniel has that is my favorite is his Jesus Storybook Bible.  I would not recommend this Bible to anyone with a toddler who has a short attention span.  It definitely doesn’t work for Daniel – the stories are too long with too many details and not enough pictures on each page.  But for an older child, it would probably be perfect.  I have enjoyed reading it because the central message is that every Bible story whispers the name of Jesus.  I don’t think I’ve thought about that before.  I don’t think I’ve truly reflected on how every single reading from Genesis to Revelation is really about Jesus.  I still don’t think I have my mind around that concept, but today, I opened my Bible to read about baby Moses in the Nile, and I thought “Here is a mother sacrificing her son so that he can save the Israelites from oppression.”   Sounds like Mary, doesn’t it?  Sounds like God the Father.

Isn’t it also interesting that the Israelites were almost always oppressed?  From the rule of the Pharaohs to Babylon to Roman rule in the New Testament, they were always looking for a way out – for a savior.  And they get temporary saviors along the way who look a lot like Jesus – Joseph, Moses, various prophets, Samson, David.  But these men only save for a short while before the next takeover occurs.

It is no wonder that when Jesus finally came on the scene, the Jewish people were desperate for their promised Messiah.  It is no wonder that they expected this Messiah to come in military force and free them from their daily struggles under Roman rule.  Perhaps what was surprising to them is that they didn’t need a military king but a heart redeemer.  I heard a sermon this weekend and the pastor said, “When you reevaluate what the problem is, you reevaluate what the solution needs to be.”  It is so true.  As long as the Jews thought their chief problem was external oppression, they would only be satisfied with a traditional king, a king, who in the end, wouldn’t bring lasting satisfaction at all.  Until they could see the sin in their lives – the sin that could never be rectified without a perfect savior – they would not know that what they really needed was a rescuer, a perfect sacrifice.

I have heard Christians often say that everyone has a “hole in their heart” or a “missing piece” that they are just looking for Jesus to fill up – even if they don’t know Jesus is the missing piece.  I don’t know if that is exactly the way it works.  It seems like an oversimplified saying to me.  And I’ve been a Christian for as long as I can remember, so I sure can’t speak from personal experience.  But what I can say, is that there are times when I feel very unsettled.  There are times when I see a problem and imagine the perfect solution. But, honestly, I also know that any solution I imagine would be a temporary fix. 

Let me just give you ONE example.  When I was single, I truly believed that being married would fill me up.  I did have a healthy view of marriage.  I knew it wouldn’t fix all my problems.  I knew all I needed was Jesus.  I knew I had to be happy with myself and not expect someone else to make me happy.  I wasn’t looking for marriage to do those things.  I was just looking for marriage to make life more fun and less complicated.  I would have a date on Friday nights.  I would have a partner in crime.  I wouldn’t have to mow my grass anymore.  I could have babies!  I thought a married life would just be an easier life.  Guess what?  Married life is not an easier life.  You just trade in single problems from married problems.  I wouldn’t go back.  I LOVE being married.  I have an AWESOME husband.  I have a beautiful baby boy and a sweet little girl on the way.  I am so incredibly blessed, and there is so much about being married that makes me happy.  I would recommend marriage to anyone.  But, honestly, my life is MORE complicated than it was when I was single.  I don’t have one family to balance and satisfy – now I have two.  Holidays are like a giant juggling act.  I do have another person to help make decisions, but I also have to handle an additional set of opinions – I can’t just do what I want to do anymore J.  Every place I’ve lived in the past three years has been for Andy – I haven’t even chosen that.  And don’t even get me started on what babies have done to my body.  Marriage has made me satisfied in a lot of very important ways, AND it has helped make me more like Jesus, BUT it has not filled me up like I thought it would.  It was a temporary fix.

What I really need to make me FEEL good is Jesus.  And this is true in any problem I face.  Like the Bible stories I read to Daniel, every story in my life is pointing me right toward a redeeming savior.  Like the Israelites, what I need to do is reevaluate my problems.  Dealing with difficult people or a difficult job or a difficult financial situation or whatever CAN be temporarily fixed by whatever solution we dream up, but most problems, at their core will come again – pointing us to a Savior who can fix us.  Who can fill us up.  Who can give us peace when nothing seems peaceful.  I know this is true because when I slow down and meet with the Lord and sit in his presence, I know He is enough for me.  I’m not leaving my quiet time this morning with a three step plan to fixing what bothers me, but I AM leaving with a trust and a faith in a Savior who is big enough to take my fears and give me the faith I need to believe that he is working all things for my good and his glory. 

Every Bible story points to Jesus.  But so does every story of my life.  Every step, every choice, every decision I’ve made in his guidance is pointing me down a path that is making more like Him.  I can look back and know that is true.  I can know that every search for a solution was really just a search to have a little more God in my life, and I can also say with complete honesty that every trial, every difficulty, every challenge has in some way, shown me more of who God is and who I am to him.  I don’t know how he is currently working in those hard areas of my life today, but I know he is working.  I know that nothing is wasted.  I know he is Savior.