A Friend Who Understands

I love a good biography. There's nothing better than curling up in my favorite chair with a cup of tea and a book about someone's real life experiences. Everyone has a story, and I love reading about other people's stories.

I was going through a spiritually dry season when I whined to God aloud one day.

"You feel so far away, God. You know how much I love biographies. Why can't you drop a biography in my lap about Jesus?"

I'm sure God smiled. No, he probably laughed in that grace-filled, loving kind of way that a mother laughs at her child's childish ways.

I glanced across the room at my "Quiet Time" basket where I keep my Bible, my prayer notebook, and a devotional. That's when I realized the foolishness of my whiney words. The Bible—specifically the first four books of the New Testament—are biographies of Jesus Christ. I'd just never thought of them that way before.

When I put my youngest child down for a nap that afternoon, I picked up my Message Bible (a paraphrased version that reads more like a novel). Turning to the Book of Matthew, I curled into my chair, sipped a cup of tea, and started reading with a new perspective.

I was captivated.

I knew that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God and fully man. Up to that point in my life, I'd unknowingly focused on the "fully God" part of who he was. He was born of a virgin. He performed miracles. Healed people. Rose from the dead. He was God on earth. I knew that.

As I sat reading, though, I saw the other part of who Jesus was: fully human. When I got to these words, I immediately connected them to my life: "Large crowds followed him wherever he went" (Matthew 4:25).

That's just like me: large crowds of children follow me everywhere I go! Even when I go to the bathroom, there are little fingers under the door! Jesus understands what it feels like to be in high demand.

Reading on, I found several places where it indicated that people pressed into him in a crowd. Then I ran across the story of the woman who had been bleeding for many years (Matthew 9:20-22). She pushed through the crowd just to touch Jesus' clothing.

Oh my goodness! People were always touching him. That's my life too! My children are always hanging on me, and then I fall into bed next to a husband with a gleam in his eye! Jesus knows what it feels like to have no personal space!

Next I ran across the story of when Jesus was exhausted after a long day of teaching. Jesus got into a boat with his disciples, and as they crossed the lake, he fell sound asleep (Matthew 8:23-27). When a storm blew in, the disciples became afraid and woke Jesus.

Wow! Jesus understands what it's like to have interrupted sleep! Whether I was up with a baby, calming a child after a bad dream, or waiting for a teenager past his curfew, I've had interrupted sleep. Jesus understands what it feels like to go without sleep.

When I got to the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), I saw Jesus experience disappointment. Overcome with the reality of facing the cross, Jesus asked his friends to pray with him. They agreed. Jesus moved to a solitary place to pour out his heart to the Father. When he returned to his friends, he found them asleep. I imagined the disappointment he must have felt. Jesus understands what it feels like to be let down by friends.

The more I read, the closer I felt to God. I was drinking living water in the midst of my spiritual desert. My perspective changed. My heart softened. My hope was renewed.

Jesus was weary. He was hungry. He felt anger. He was in high demand. He was interrupted. He experienced disappointment. His friends let him down. He was betrayed. I found this new "biographical approach" to reading my Bible completely engaging. Jesus' real life experiences are so similar to mine!

Jesus—our Savior and Lord—is also the friend who understands the challenges in our everyday lives. What an amazing God we have!

Jill Savage, founder and CEO of Hearts at Home, is the author of eight books including Real Moms … Real Jesus and No More Perfect Moms. www.jillsavage.org

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