Book Review: “Tell God How You Feel” by Christina Fox
Image courtesy of CF4Kids—Christian Focus Publications
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Applying Scripture and preaching Jesus’ love to ourselves is an ongoing challenge for Christians. Whether you are a new believer or a mature one, remembering God’s love for you and living in that love and relationship takes constant practice. For parents the challenge is augmented. Not only do you have to remind yourself of God’s love, but you long for your children also to know the love of Jesus and to run to him in any difficulty they face.
Since we often don’t have the role models to follow when it comes to bringing our children to the arms of Jesus, Christina Fox’s new book Tell God How You Feel: Helping Kids with Hard Emotions (CF4Kids—Christian Focus Publications) is both a welcome addition to children’s literature and a much-needed discipleship aid for parents.
Fox is the author of numerous books on the Christian life, including A Heart Set Free: A Journey to Hope Through the Psalms of Lament; Idols of a Mother’s Heart; and Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms. Bringing her considerable experience as a wife, mother, teacher, and counselor to her first children’s book, Fox fills Tell God How You Feel with relatable stories and wonderful illustrations that both introduce our children to emotions they may be facing and guide them to God and his word as the way to deal with any trouble that comes their way.
There are five stories in the book, each dealing with a different scenario that would be common to a young child: “A Scary Thunderstorm,” “A Friend Moves Away,” “A Friend’s Rejection,” “Feeling Lonely,” and “Thankful for a Good Grade.”
In the introduction, Fox explains why she uses the Psalms as the backdrop for addressing a child’s fears in a biblical way:
When we train our hearts through reading and studying God’s Word, it transforms our thinking, which in turn will shape our emotions. This is why reading the Psalms helps when we are going through a trial or difficult season. The Psalms remind us of what is true and in encountering the truth, we find our joy renewed.
Each chapter uses a Psalm to walk a young boy or girl through a struggle (or joy). In each chapter Fox provides a template for parents who may wonder, “How do I help my child through this anxiety, sadness, fear, etc.?” with the following steps: recognizing a struggle (or joy), empathizing (or rejoicing) with the one who is affected, bringing the Scriptures to bear on the situation, understanding God’s love, and speaking to our Father in prayer. These chapters are gold for parents who don’t have a role model for how to bring their child to Jesus. They are written in such a way that young children can grasp the message and relate the story to themselves.
The end-of-chapter questions that facilitate conversation and further apply the message to the individual reader are a wonderful bonus feature of the book. Even if the particular character in the story is struggling with something different than your child, the story is such that the comfort shared and truth taught can be applied to a range of related circumstances in life. Fox writes,
Tell God How You Feel helps children learn that God’s Word is our source of hope when our emotions take us on a roller coaster ride. When we are fearful, hurt, sad, and lost, God’s Word is the anchor that keeps us secure.” (1)
Fox’s book is winsomely written and will be an invaluable resource for children in coming to understand and properly deal with their emotions. As the pressures of the world and sin weigh upon kids in an increasingly complex world, reading Tell God How You Feel early and often with your children will help direct them to the Savior of their souls and the sure foundation of Christ found in his word.
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Tell God How You Feel: Helping Kids with Hard Emotions by Christina Fox
