During one of our last days of ministry, we went to visit the house of a teenage girl from our church named Grace. Her family are all born-again, and her mother greeted us with so much love, joy, hospitality, and blessing. There was such a radiance from the mothers face and enthusiasm about her as she stood up greet and bless us for coming to her house. Even the skin on her face seemed to have a special glow–her bronze cheeks were highlighted in the light that filtered in to that dark adobe living room from the sheet covered doorway opening that blew open from the breeze.
As we sat and talked with them, we asked if they had any special needs or requests we would pray for. When we were about to leave, we asked if they had Bibles. The mother and youngest son did, but the 5 teenage girls did notwe just happened to have 5 Bibles in their local language with us that day!
When we pulled them out and started handing them to the girls, they were filled with joy! I do not just mean they were happy and thankful that we had given them Bibles. No, they were excited, elated! They screamed and shouted and immediately jumped up on their feet and started singing and dancing. Ive never seen such a reaction, especially to receiving a Bible.
This was a very touching moment for me.
This was a very convicting moment as well.
Now they had the very Word of God–their Creator, Maker, Sustainer, Savior, and King–in their own hands, in their own language for them to read whenever they could, to study, to learn, to grow. They knew what this meant for them, and they were so joyful and thankful for that.
Im sure that had heard that our group was giving Bibles to people we visited throughout the village. At one time, anyone could get a Bible here pretty much for free, especially one that was in English. But not, it is very expensive for them, and even more difficult to get one in their own native language. But now, it was their turn, and they did not take it for granted.
