Building castles

If I could have any job I wanted I would be a story writer for 'Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom'. It's the kids' latest favourite thing, and to be honest, Dave and I love it too. It's full of crazy, funny storylines and humour and great characters. I get the feeling that the people who made it just had the time of their lives.

Story plays a big role in this house. Both my children love to imagine, to dress up, to tell stories in their games. Bedtime stories are a given, I love to snuggle up with them and to read old favourites and discover new ones. Harry and I usually have a couple of jokes based around whatever we are reading. After reading 'The Hodgeheg' by Dick King Smith, we tried to talk back to front but it was harder than it sounded. We don't just read the classic established children's authors- we love the stories of Captain Underpants too- guaranteed to give you a laugh at the end of a hard day.

The children aren't the only ones who crave story in their lives. In the aftermath of Trump, I saw a photo on social media which contained a picture of a 'fort/den' made of books and the words 'if you need me I will be in here hiding from the news.' It struck a chord with me. I will always reach for a story when things- personal or global- get too much to handle. Recently, though, I have been longing for books which take me closer to God, stories that reflect his reality, where bad is bad and good is better. I've been wanting to surround myself, and my family with 'whatever is true, noble, right, pure and lovely' (philippians 4:8). But I still want a good story, well written. I've also been thinking of how choosing these kinds of stories can help our children without being 'preachy'.

But apart from the obvious Narnia stories (oh how I loved Aslan with all my heart as a child), I didn't know where to begin. Literature which is labelled 'Christian' tries too hard for my liking. Funnily enough, the first books I have found have been (supposedly) for children. I love the music of Andrew Peterson  and this website, which he is also involved in, led me to read Peterson's novels (the Wingfeather Saga stories) and to Watership Down. (How has it taken me so long to read Watership Down?)

I may get round to reviewing these book in more detail at some point, but for now I am ending with two more thoughts. This article explains so much better than me what makes a great christian book (as well as furnishing me with a long list of books-to-read).

Finally- there is one book which gives me the courage to climb out of that den of books and look at reality face to face- Trump, Brexit and a collasping NHS notwithstanding. Reading the bible brings me ever-deepening wonder, joy and hope. Might as well quote Tim Keller to finish!

'Christianity does not agree with the optimistic thinkers who say, “We can fix things if we try hard enough.” Nor does it agree with the pessimists who see only a dystopian future.
The message of Christianity is, instead, “Things really are this bad, and we can’t heal or save ourselves. Things really are this dark — nevertheless, there is hope.” '

(Tim Keller, from this article)

Bricks

I was thinking the other day about what a life-giving, joyous thing it must have been to receive the commandment of keeping the Sabbath. These folk had just come out of slavery in Egypt, away from the back-breaking, never-ending cycle of making bricks in the hot sun. Then, a command- on the seventh day, rest. You, your children, your servants, your animals. Rest, and remember God, your deliverer and provider.

The passage that provoked these thoughts was from Isaiah 56, where God is reminding his people, fresh out of exile, what it looks like to be his people. The passage goes something like this: do justice- keep the Sabbath- do no evil.

Fresh on the heels of these thoughts, the following popped up on my facebook page, from Tearfund. A church in Nepal going into a local brick factory, to teach the children, (many bonded by debt to this work), and to provide them with some fun.

Rest- Joy- Hope- Justice. God's commands are good news.


http://www.tearfund.org/en/2016/12/lightening_the_load/