Shirley Robinson's Blog: Words from S. Robinson

While studying the first five books of the Bible, to gain understanding of the early Israelites, I couldn't help but marvel at the miracle of manna.

In my upcoming novel, The One Who Told the Desert Stories, I fangirl over the bread of Heaven a bit more through the observations of the main character, who just so happens to be Miriam's apprentice.

Perhaps you have made this connection before, but did you know that manna (and much of the book of Exodus) is a foreshadowing for the Bread of Life mentioned in the gospels?

While manna makes its Biblical debut in Exodus, the term Bread of Life becomes part of our faith in the gospels through the words of Jesus.

Consider John 6:32-35 "Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.”

The tie that Jesus made back to the book of Exodus is a pretty good clue that "bread of life," wasn't a random phrase Jesus picked up. It was always part of God's plan - because he is a provider.

He provides for us physically, just like he gave the cast-away Israelites bread in the wilderness, and he provides for us spiritually by offering, free of charge, the Bread of Life in his son, Jesus.

Before you sign off and move on to reading some good books, consider one more instance of manna in Scripture. In Nehemiah, the tie is explained. "You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst." (chapter 9 verse 20)

We can think of the Bread of Life, spoken of in the gospels, as the Spirit of God, given to us to nurture us. If ever there was a people desperately in need of nurturing, it is modern-day mankind. I would say we are every bit as hungry and thirsty - for the life-giving Spirit - as the Israelites were in their desert wanderings.

Not for the first time, I sat down and wrote a list of the steps required to bring a book to life. Starting with "book idea" and progressing to things like "table of contents," "chapters," "editing," and "cover design," the list reminded me that I have nearly all the practical steps to launching a book finished. This is wonderful news, as I am so excited to bring my first novel into the world. However, as I looked at the list, I began to dwell on a subtlety of the story crafting world: a book is born, a story is woven.

Books require the writing, of course, and they require the table of contents, the editing, choosing fonts, designing covers. They require all these things, and yet, even if all these things are present, a story may still be lacking.

A book can be stuffed full of words and pages, while still missing a story. Storytelling is entirely different than writing a book. A talented author, who is devoted to her craft will confirm this if you ask her.

Recognizing this, I have spent the last several months plying the two branches of my craft. I have been weaving a story from the depths of imagination and history, and curating words onto the pages of a document so that you all can see the story, as I have.

With these thoughts in mind, I invite you to watch closely for my debut novel, coming in late spring.