Thanks to Woody and a stuffed ringtailed lemur, Zaccheus’s encounter with Jesus came alive in a whole new way.

When it comes to my son Jackson, putting the Bible into his world makes it something he can touch and experience. Context is key.

So, when Woody climbed up the side of the piano to see the ringtailed lemur pass by, got caught and the two had lunch together, Jackson got to be part of the story. And, he reenacted the story again and again and again.

This past week we took one of Jackson’s favorite snacks, Goldfish crackers, to illustrate Jesus feeding the crowd of 5,000. Jackson got to be the boy in the story, I helped him pack his lunch with two goldfish and 5 chunks of bread. He then shared his lunch with Jesus. Every time he ate a goldfish, another replaced it. At the end we had 12 goldfish left to show the baskets leftover. Even Lauren, our near one-year-old, got in on the action!

I’d love to hear how you have put Bible stories into a child’s context!