Recently Birgitta and I received several pieces of thank-you-mail from 4 year old Skylar. She had carefully crayon-ed the words, “Thank you Midgee!” (minus the “g”) and written out the letters of her signature. Then she’d worked hard drawing 7 colorful pictures. The gifts she was thanking for were only tidbits from the dollar store, but her thanks was enthusiastic and much appreciated at our end.

Studying a child’s drawings is a window into the heart and mind of the artist. For example, Skylar drew four people, all girls (note the eyelashes) on a shopping trip. It’s not clear who is who except that the girl in the middle is probably her, with her hair carefully styled in the side ponytail she often favors. The baby in the stroller is most likely her little sister Autumn, who’s been made comfortable with a pillow, blanket, and her favorite stuffed animal. The shoppers have filled a grocery cart with goodies, including the bottom rack, and seem happy with their purchases.

A second drawing depicts two ladies, most likely Linnea and me, sharing a coffee break. The coffee is flowing freely, and the women are enjoying themselves. Another picture shows children at a playground, swinging, climbing, sliding and enjoying a blue-sky day.

As I studied the pictures, I had many questions about the details and wished Skylar was at my elbow with the explanations. But she was 1200 miles away.

Sometimes I feel the same way about biblical word-pictures, especially those that come through the mouth of Jesus. It can be frustrating to read the parables as he taught them, never absolutely sure what he meant. It makes me wish he wasn’t so far away but was at my elbow with clear explanations.

The Bible can be confusing, and many people won’t look into it because they can’t figure out what it means. But setting it on a high shelf and giving up completely is a sure way to gain nothing from it. I believe Scripture’s testimony about itself, that if we sincerely seek God through its words, we’ll definitely find him. And finding him is strong motivation to keep looking into his book.

I only know one person who fully understands Scripture, and that’s Jesus. When he studied as a youngster and then a 20-something, he understood it all. That’s probably why those learned religious scholars of the day gave him their undivided attention when he talked to them in the temple. He had explanations none of them had yet found.

The rest of us may still be in the dark about some of the Bible’s words, but God has given us understanding of others. And eventually, in the hereafter, we’ll understand it all, just like Jesus.

Meanwhile, I might just give Skylar a call.

“What shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.” (1 Corinthians 14:15)