Reading the Bible has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride—full of learning, growing, and, let’s be honest, a few facepalms along the way.
I often find myself saying things out loud while reading, like, “God just did that for you, and you’re going to do WHAT?!” or “Wait, Jesus, that doesn’t make sense.” Sometimes, I just can’t help but chuckle and think, “You’re so funny, God!” I mean, they had a Pillar of Cloud and Fire guiding them! And then there are those moments of self-doubt, like, “God, I’m a failure. Why can’t I understand this?” Seriously, was that from God or was that from the people.
My reading sessions can be quite animated! It reminds me of that iconic scene from *Lilo & Stitch* where Lilo passionately talks about “Pudge the Fish.” Here’s a little snippet of her epic monologue:
*”It’s sandwich day. Every Thursday, I take Pudge the fish a peanut butter sandwich. But today, we were out of peanut butter. So I asked my sister what to give him, and she said ‘a tuna sandwich.’ I can’t give Pudge tuna! Do you know what tuna is…? It’s fish! If I give Pudge tuna, I’d be an abomination! I’m late because I had to go to the store and get peanut butter ’cause all we have is… is… is stinkin’ tuna!”
I often have to watch funny animations to lighten the mood as I wrestle with the scriptures. From Genesis to the present moment in 1 Samuel, I’m realizing that God isn’t the scary figure some people and churches portray Him to be.
From what I am reading, a lot of the confusion seems to stem from people’s decisions and choices, including some of the rules and traditions that was clearly not part of God’s character. Seriously, folks, you have God on urim/thummim speed dial! He floated manna from the sky and leveled it above the ground!!!
And then I reflect on how many times God has whispered, “No, Jennifer, don’t do that.”
If you need a good laugh while navigating the scriptures, check out these fun animation creators:
– [Billy Jack Animates](https://www.instagram.com/billyjackanimates/)
– [WHHW Series](https://www.instagram.com/whhwseries/)
Let’s embrace this wild ride together!