The B-I-B-L-E… (part 1)
The best college graduation gift I could’ve ever received from my parents was a leather bound, NASB Life Application Study Bible with my first, middle, and last name embossed in gold script on the front cover. To some, it may seem odd that I view receiving a bible as one of the best gifts I’ve ever received; but that is because now, 20+ years later, it is clear God’s divine sovereignty was at work even then. It is now clear to me, 20+ years later, the Lord knew exactly what I was going to need, given what I had experienced.
See initially, I resented my parents for giving me this type of gift, especially since our relationship had been strained and almost extinct during that time of my life. Because we weren’t on the best of terms (primarily because of my lifestyle choices), I just knew they were taking subtle shots at me. But what I didn’t know was that Jesus was doing a subtle work in them. Because my parents and I didn’t live in the same city and weren’t on the best of speaking terms, I didn’t know they had re-dedicated their lives to Christ a few years earlier. And I certainly didn’t know they were looking at their life and the lives of their children through the eyes of the Holy Spirit and could therefore see and or feel things that I couldn’t.
Little to my knowledge, the bible ended up being exactly what I ran to when “all hell broke loose” about a year later. Being at my wits end, I broke down and called my Father (of all people) sobbing and in pain. And because he could hear the weariness throughout my inaudible sobs (and because I believe he heard the Holy Spirit whisper “it’s time”), he gently said to to me “Kye, come home”. And I surrendered. After miraculously breaking the lease to my one bedroom apartment penalty free and having just enough money to rent a u-haul to drive me and my belonging 195 miles back home, that began my journey into- then appreciation- but now a love, for the Bible…
Because I was still dealing with some serious heartache and life pains once back at home with my parents, I honestly didn’t know how this was going to go. After a few weeks there and of course going to church with my parents somewhat reluctantly, I “just so happened” to notice my mother’s bible. It was in a pastel purple carrying case with a monogramed scripture on the case. I remember thinking to myself, “oh that’s cute”. As I opened it, it stated “Women’s Devotional Bible”. Now I’m curious. I was curious to see what makes a bible a “Woman’s Devotional Bible”, so I opened it further. I casually thumbed through it to see what it could’ve possibly said about being a woman, and shortly after my casual skimming, BOOM! a bible verse about how Jesus is the healer for those with broken hearts grabbed a hold to me. I continued to read. It was as though the words in the verse, and what I later learned was called “biblical commentary”, was speaking to exactly what I was and had experienced as a young girl and woman. And because I was so desperate to overcome the trauma I had experienced, I chose to believe what this book was saying was true; so I whispered to myself that I want to be healed and then closed the book. Although I didn’t notice anything different immediately, one Sunday in church I noticed that I laughed at something funny and realized I was actually enjoying myself for the first time in a long time. As I paid more attention to this sudden feeling of joy, I also started to realize that the traumatizing feeling I had held up to then was gone- it was like I was healed or something. From that day forth, I remember feeling lighter. No longer wallowing in the past or feeling wronged or damaged. And that was my introduction to the healing power of the Bible.
See the bible is the gift of all gifts because it is the word of God and continues to give even when we are not searching. This is why it important to not only have a bible, but also take the time to read it because it slowly fills the large and small cracks and crevices in our hearts, while showing us the true nature and purpose of God. One way to incorporate the Bible in your routine reading is to get a bible you understand. And I want to help you with that. So stay tuned.
