Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Read the Bible til It's Dirty & It Will Make You Clean

  A few weeks ago, I got the news that a dear family friend had passed away without warning.  This lady was very special to myself and my family and I had known her since I was a little girl.

 Since my parents are very conservative in both thought and lifestyle, you could count on one hand the people that they felt comfortable leaving me with as a child.  This lady was one of those people. My parents knew that while I was at her house and with her family, I wouldn't be exposed to anything that they didn't approve of.  She is the only person that I can remember ever watching me while my parents went on dates.

  I attended a memorial service for her this past weekend and one of her daughters said that she remembered going into the kitchen as a little girl and seeing her mom's Bible lying on the table where she had just finished her devotions.  Then, her son said that the morning she was found passed away, there, beside her bed, stood her open Bible where she had read from it the night before.  The common thread was that she had her devotions daily

  Boy.  I can't begin to describe the feelings I had as I sat and heard that.  Just a few that I can put a name to were thankfulness for having known her, awe at how dedicated she was and over it all, conviction. If I passed away suddenly is that what someone would find beside my bed?  My open Bible?  I (shamefully) have to say, no. 

  This lady was sweet, caring, generous, loving, quick with laughter and praise and she constantly gave of herself and her possessions to help anyone and everyone that she came in contact with.

  That was not a result of her own doing.  It was a result of the time she spent reading her Bible daily

  Without a doubt, the Lord blessed her with those attributes above, however, without her consistency in the Word, I wonder how far the results of those attributes would have reached? 

  Person after person stood up to testify to how she had impacted their lives.  Two young men stood up and called her "mom" even though they were not her children by blood.

  The slideshow they showed at the memorial had a picture of the inside cover of her Bible.  On the page was written, "Read the Bible til it's dirty & it will make you clean." 

  This dear lady lived that.  And in doing so, she ministered and helped so many others.

  The beauty, grace and godliness I saw reflected in her life is challenging me to put God first, give Him more of myself and read His Word faithfully. 

  Proverbs 31:30 - Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Sara <3


  

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