Breastfed

Over the last few weeks, I have been asking myself how I can deepen my inner connection to Jesus. In my search for answers, I pulled a book out of my "I want to read this" pile: Breastfed by David Zindel from the Neufeld Publishing House. The subtitle "Night Talks with David" tells you what it's all about.

I was annoyed at first. As a publisher, a good framework for a plot is important to me. And I lacked that. A stressed man who is unhappy in his marriage writes letters to King David - and the author hardly bothers to invent a framework for them - apart from an introductory letter in which it is reported how the publication of the letters was controversially discussed in heaven. I think there could have been a bit more imagination. I might have imagined the good man reading Psalm 23 in the evening "I shall not want"...and then writing a rather angry reply to the author.... in his Bible.... and being surprised the next evening to find a reply on the back of his letter...really from David.

After the frame, I continued to be annoyed - by the stupidity of Reinhard, the writer. He is initially portrayed as someone who sees his wife as the sole cause of his marital problems. I know contemporaries - both men and women - who see the cause of problems primarily in others. Nevertheless - I don't think any man is as blatantly stupid with 0.0000 % self-knowledge as the good Reinhard at the beginning of the book - at least I hope not!!!

Once I was over the first threshold, the book began to fascinate me. The good David writes from the perspective of eternity, looking back on his life - and has learnt a lot. I liked the way he repeatedly encouraged Reinhard not to look for fulfilment / fulfilment in things, but in his encounter with God. He writes and explains this again and again - in different variations and nuances... I really enjoyed it.

A few of the most beautiful thoughts from the book (quoted from memory):

• You can recognise the quality of a breastfeeding by the aftertaste (a very wise thought in my opinion, applies to food as well as to events and encounters).
• Pouring out your heart and letting it be filled again belong together. One without the other makes little sense. (I thought that was really good!)
• Spiritually dry times are God's gifts. He tries to free us from our own, not really effective attempts at breastfeeding.
• Obedience has to do with hearing. Obedience is the ability to hear.
• God wants to wash our dirty laundry white - not argue with us about its grey content.
• If we distance ourselves from things, we can then receive them anew from God and enjoy them - in a free way - as the satisfied, not as the longing, insatiable, insatiable, who take in everything - and because they remain unsatisfied - must constantly increase the dose.
• David looking back from heaven on his acts of revenge at the end of his life: "Only today do I realise that a happy life consists of paying bills straight away - out of your own pocket if necessary."

I gratefully put a good book aside...the valuable thoughts in it will stay with me for a long time.