Look what I have found!

I recently received a text message with a picture from my son. He found this Gideon New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs in the trash at his workplace. What touched my heart was that he went on to say that he had been reading it in the last couple of days.

The written Word is so powerful, and I could not help but think about my introduction to the Bible at a very young age. I learned to read by age 5, with my mother teaching me as she read the Bible aloud. We had moved, and she decided not to send me to kindergarten. Instead, she took the time to teach me my ABCs and how to read, which sparked my passion for reading. Oh, how grateful I am for a mother who had only a 10th-grade education but took the time to read the Bible to me and, from it, taught me to read. How many have such an experience?

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention how excited I was to receive my first Gideon Bible in fourth grade. It was identical to the picture my son sent me. I still remember the day as if it were yesterday, when the Gideon representative passed out Bibles to the whole class. I was so excited to take my new little Bible to church and show it to my Sunday School teacher.

Fast-forward to my high school years, when my FFA (Future Farmers of America) instructor visited my home before I entered my first year. Dr. Hedges was a godly man and a Gideon. He became the foundation for the man I am today.

I still remember asking my pastor if he could come and speak on a Sunday about the Gideons and their ministry. It was a day I'll never forget, as my teacher came to share, especially in our little holiness church; thankfully, there wasn't much shouting. And of course, the offering was generous for the cause.

Even today, their ministry continues to reach beyond just the New Testament and fourth graders.  I have a sister who has been homeless and a drug addict, and she carries her Gideon Bible everywhere she goes.

There is something about paper and ink. I am not anti-technology, but several examples in the Bible say, “write this down.” From Moses to John and the book of Revelation, we see a command.  The written word on a piece of paper will always outlast an app on a phone or something saved on a flash drive.

Lord, thank you for the Gideons and all they have done and continue to do. The written WORD may always speak, even from a trash can.