I have shared with you before how Mom always liked to write in her Bibles.
Sometimes she wrote her own thoughts, sometimes notes from a sermon, and sometimes sayings or poems that she liked.
Nevertheless, I am so glad she did.
I have two of Mom’s bibles that I treasure. One is older, and I keep it at home to use during my quiet time. Dad gave Mom this Bible on her birthday in 1993. As you can tell, the cover is tattered and torn.
Inside the cover of her bible is written,
“If my Bible is torn apart…my life is not.”
The other Bible I have is not quite as old. It was also given to her by Dad for her birthday in 2003. Dad knew how much Mom loved God’s word! I take it to church with me each Sunday. She has written throughout that Bible as well. I love to be reading a scripture in Sunday School or the worship service and see Mom’s handwritten notes explaining the verses. I can almost hear her voice reading them to me.
Mom knew the importance of reading and studying God’s word. And I have no doubt that it was the years that she spent in His word that gave her the peace she so obviously displayed the last days of her life.
I found some of Mom’s writings in her Bible that I wanted to share with you.
She had written all the way down the side of the page, and I think it may be notes from a sermon. The notes are about this verse:
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
Psalms 1:2,3
Here are her notes:
The moments that sustain us are those moments invested in true devotion and fellowship with the Lord. Meditation on His word is the passport to wisdom, innumerable blessings, and unspeakable peace. Yet at its foundation, it is a practical exercise:
Setting aside time- It doesn’t matter the time of day. More important is your frame of mind.
Stillness- Being still before God means turning off the tv, radio, and phone. (And I will add, computer.) Pray for God to quiet your Spirit.
Silence- Meditation involves active listening. As you pray and read God’s Word, listen for His still, small voice.
Seclusion- It is important that you meditate alone, developing a personal relationship with your Father.
Meditation quiets your Spirit, purifies your heart, produces a hunger for God and His Word, and increases your view of God.
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I cannot tell you how much Mom still inspires me! As I read the words she has written down in her bible, I am reminded again of where my priorities should be.
And I will be honest with you, I struggle with this. I confess that I struggle to find time in the day to spend in God’s word, and yet I never miss spending time on my blog. I always have time for that!
But no matter how much I love this blog and all the ways God has blessed me through it, my blog will never give me the peace that I saw in my mom’s life as she faced death. She had a peace that passed all understanding. A peace that could have only come from a life grounded in God’s word.
I want my boys to have more memories of their Mom with her Bible in her lap, than her computer. I’m not doing very good at this right now. Please pray that I will do better.
Thank you, Mom, for showing me the importance of reading God’s word. And for showing me throughout your illness the strength that can only be found in Him.
From beneath my heart,
Traci
