Hearing the Stories Anew

Posted on by Michele Morin

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It is a trick of human nature that if we walk by the sock under the coffee table enough times, it will eventually disappear.  We will have stopped seeing it.  This is unfortunate for pristine housekeeping practices, and even more so when we’re reading the Bible. It’s tragic when we’ve heard the stories so many times that we’ve simply stopped hearing them.  The phrases slip by unheeded:

“. . . without form and void
. . . and God saw that it was good
. . . two by two
. . . and the waters prevailed exceedingly.”

Maybe it’s time to slow the stories down for the sake of our hearts; for the love of foundational truth that puts the creativity of God and His limitless grace on display; for the joy of seeing it all new through the eyes of a small person in our lap or beside us in the comfy chair.

In the Beginning and Noah’s Ark, part of the Baby Bible Book Series crafted by Susana and Owen Gay, have streamlined Creation and Flood narratives down to the essential points and the actions of God which reveal His character.  Colorful drawings are simple enough to invite tiny fingers to point to favorite animals and to count the stars on a page, but include sufficient detail for the little smarty pants to show off the fact that they know all the colors of the rainbow and the sound the monkey makes.

Parents, grandparents, and teachers of even the youngest toddlers can begin to establish a foundation for their tiny Bible scholars and, at the same time, find their own hearts rejoicing in the truth.

God created.
His work is good.
God rescues.
He keeps His promises.

When we participate in the spiritual formation of the small people in our lives, we may find — to our own great surprise — that we also are formed anew.

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These books were provided by Worthy Kids/Ideals, an imprint of Worthy Publishing Group, in exchange for my review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

27 thoughts on “Hearing the Stories Anew”

  1. These look like they might be good books to look for. I like the main themes you pointed out: God created.
    His work is good.
    God rescues.
    He keeps His promises.
    Those are perfect for kids! Thanks for sharing at Dawn Klinge.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Michele,
    I was at a board meeting last Friday and the chair started a devotion with the story of Joseph. I almost tuned out because I’ve heard the story so many times but he brought points of the story out that I had never thought of before and I began to see so much more in the story of Joseph than I ever had before. God’s word is so rich. These little books look adorable, like ideal shower gifts.
    Stopping by via Arabah Joy’s Linkup.
    Praying you continue to sense God’s direction as you forage ahead in the great plans God has for you as you lead many and show the way.
    Be Blessed & Refreshed,
    ~Sherry Stahl
    xoxo

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  4. Michele, you are so right about the familiar blending in and losing its details. Last year I started reading the Bible with a new modern translation just to make it fresh. It worked! These sound like great books.

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  5. Thanks for sharing – as a mom with three young ones I’m always looking for new kids books. How true it is that sometimes we hear those words so many times that our minds become dull to them, I grew up in the church and struggled with that as I got older.

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  6. I was a new Christian when my son was still pretty young. A friend told me to start reading him kid’s books about the Bible every night. This was one of the greatest pieces of advice I ever received. I couldn’t agree with you more here: “When we participate in the spiritual formation of the small people in our lives, we may find — to our own great surprise — that we also are formed anew.” These books look great! I’ll have to get them for one of the little people I know :).

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    1. I learn almost everything I know about the Bible by teaching it to others. It does seem to stick better when we really dig into it so that someone else can profit from our learning.

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      1. And then sometimes the little ones teach us. I was reading the Creation story to my now 45 year old son when he was 7. He said, “So God said let there be light but then He didn’t make the sun until the forth day, what made the light on the first day?’ All my years of knowing the story had never pondered the sequence of events. I panicked and said that maybe saying ‘let there be light was just God’s way of saying, “Let’s begin.” He thought about that and then replied, “Or maybe He meant, “Let there be Jesus.”

        Out of the mouths of babes.

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      2. I’ve pondered that fact with kids in a classroom setting, and if I want to have my mind alerted to the wonder of God, I may just go back to that detail even now. God’s creative genius is amazing!

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    1. The think I like most is their adaptability. The very tiny people will just enjoy the pictures and the basic story line, but older toddlers can take in some big picture concepts, and there’s room for that with these simple books.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. These look great! I wish I had the money to buy all of the great children’s books I read about (I’m grateful our library has so many of them). Books with simple pictures like these are perfect for my youngest child.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I absolutely love your review of these two little one’s board books. I, too, reviewed them but I must say you have really “nailed” it. I’m a mother of 5 grown children who have blessed me with 13 grand children and 1 great-grand. 8 of my grands are very grown up now and only 5 of them remain as “young” grands. But what joy they all are. When I review books I share them with neighbor children, the school from which I retired, and my daughter who home schools. What a rich opportunity it is to review and share.

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