The Book of Books
The Holy Bible
Greetings, book-lovers!
Today, I’m very excited to bring you
.Michelle writes
, where she shares encouraging words and passages from Scripture.In this wonderfully written essay, Michelle tells the story of how she found the book that has helped her through the tough times, the good times, all the times — The Holy Bible. Enjoy!
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I was ten years old and life as I knew it was coming unglued. My father had just lost his job, the one that not only fed us but provided the company-owned house and car. My mother had pasted on a smile and patted my head when she told me this, yet I could feel that what was about to occur was not good. Ten is a helpless age, not old enough to claim the place of adulthood and too young for anyone to take seriously. I was fairly certain my mom felt I could not handle the truth of our situation even though the depth of her concern pierced my soul. I distinctly remember the dust motes dancing in a sunbeam as I sat on the living room floor afterward staring at a row of books. My father was the king of the bookshelves and had built a wall full of them, which was unusual for a man who never read. There was a black covered Bible on that shelf, it too had never been read, but it called me. Not in an audible voice, not in any way I can explain. Now that I'm forty years older I know it to have been a resonation in my very spirit. A call to my heart that would be answered in the not-so-distant future.
Our displaced family moved in with my paternal grandfather, a stern man who wore a tie to breakfast and then retired to his basement bedroom without a word. My father took up residence on the couch, spiraling deep into a depression from which he did not return for many years. My former stay-at-home mom took a full time job to keep us afloat. It was during this time that my grandfather handed over his Country Club membership card. It was far out of character for him, but having parented pre-teens since then I understand that he was probably wanting us out of his house. Since my paper route did not afford me other entertainment, I looked forward to warm weekends at “the Club pool.”
My mother chose a lounge chair poolside one Saturday next to a woman who was very vocal about her faith. A faith, she said, that had saved her. Listening in, I didn’t know what that meant but it sounded exactly like what we needed. Saving. An invitation to her home and then her church followed and that’s when the Bible came off our newest set of shelves.
My earliest remembrance of reading Scripture is tied to a fifty-foot ice cream sundae. Youth group, they called it, a place where those of us in the throes of adolescence were enticed to learn about the Bible. Don’t ask me what the verse of the evening was, because honestly all I remember is the sundae. Youth group and Sunday School came as part of the package deal that we now called Church. It was so very different from what I knew from my early childhood, everyone carried the Word of God and most of them knew what it said. I was presented with a hard cover version of my own, and thus began my baby steps with the Bible.
I was not completely ignorant of what those pages held. I had heard the stories of great men of faith during my childhood but I did not understand that they were truth. Noah and his ark. Joshua and Jericho. Jesus born in a manger. Were these all in this one book? Were they true? Finding those answers compelled me to dig deeper and ask questions, and to this day I still give thanks for the index and a very patient Sunday School teacher.
My faith, based on the words in the Bible, began shaping my life. I carried a new paperback version in High School and met with like-minded young people over lunch. It was the catalyst in meeting my future husband who invited me to a small group study of the text. It wove it’s way into my nursing school years when I held the hands of the dying and prayed over them. After marriage, and through the tumultuous days of parenting our own four children, it served as hope and guidance every step of the way. The Bible is alive. It’s words being God-breathed they seep into your very soul and create change. Change for the good. Over four decades later, I continue to learn new things every time I turn the pages. I can not imagine who I would be without it.
The way I read the Bible is a little bit different now. I preferred the New International Version (NIV) for many years, in print, because the language was understandable. With the advent of the internet, I have put my print volumes aside in favor of the Bible online. There, I am not only able to search by a word but toggle between different published versions. I don’t just read any more either, I write. I write with the hope that the Word that has touched my life will also touch yours.
So, where to begin? Are you one of the millions who have a Bible in hand, or is it foreign to you? My best piece of advice is to start with what you already know. Are you familiar with Christmas and Easter, then start in one of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) in the New Testament. Have you heard about Noah and his Ark, Adam and Eve, Joshua and Jericho? Find them in the Old Testament, and don’t forget to use your browser or AI to locate them easily!
Lastly, it is my humble opinion that the words God gave us should be free to read. You don’t have to buy a Bible unless you’d really like to own one for your bookshelf. Use an online version, check it out at the library, add a Bible app, or talk to your local church about one they might give away. I would like to hear your story, and welcome you to join in commenting ways that you have been affected by the Bible in your life. Favorite stories and Scriptures are welcome. Thank you so much for inviting me here! I look forward to chatting with you more.
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Thank you so much for sharing this M.E. Rothwell! I wish you much success in all that you do and write!
A welcome read, thanks Michelle! "Saving" is what it comes down do, in the end.