21 Days Closer to Christ

Justin and I are currently reading this wonderful book called 21 Days Closer to Christ by Emily Freeman. I want each of you to go out and get this book if you are able. It is seriously amazing! Last night, we read Day 4 which outlines the story of Jairus from the Bible. I hadn't heard this whole story before and was completely touched by the lesson it taught me. Jairus was a father who's only daughter was on the verge of death. Jairus traveled all night without stopping in order to find Christ and ask him to come to his daughter and heal her. Jairus had pure faith that Christ could heal his daughter. When Jairus reached Christ, he fell at the Saviors feet and said, "My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and that she shall live" (Mark 5:23). The rest of the story outlines how Christ left immediately with Jairus and made the journey back home to the daughter. Along their journey, they encountered a street full of people and amongst the people was a woman who had suffered from an illness for 12 years. This woman had such amazing faith in Christ that she knew that if she simply touched the hem of His garment, she would be healed. After the Savior healed the woman on the street, the two men were met by a messenger who said "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?" (Mark 5:35). Jairus must have been devastated but his faith was still pure. At that point, Christ said, "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36). Jairus and Christ continued on their way to the home of the daughter while being mocked the entire way by neighbors. When Christ arrived in the little girls room, He took her hand and said: "Damsel, I say unto thee, arise."

After telling the story of Jairus, the author of the book then tells about her own personal search to find Christ through her sons illness of Diabetes. She tells of how she wouldn't change a thing about the trials that she has gone through with her sons illness. It was because of this illness that she was able to find Christ.

At the end of each short chapter/day, the author extends an "Invitation" as well as a "Journey" to each reader. The "Journey" at the end of this particular chapter/day is this: "Think back on a time in your life when you had to search for the Savior to find strength beyond your own.................". We were then challenged to apply the lessons that we had learned from that experience to our lives today.

This may seem silly to some people but this whole chapter really hit home with me. We each have our own trials in this life. We need to exercise pure faith, and need to "find Christ" in order to make it through our struggles and learn the lessons that we need to. As I sat last night and pondered this whole chapter, I was able to put some pieces together in my own life and was able to get myself on a path to "find Christ".

I hope that I have written this post tastefully and in a way that won't be offensive to those who read it. I just felt strongly that I needed to share what I had learned and experienced last night while reading this wonderful book. I love you all and hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Talia