From The Editor: Documenting the Journey

A friend of mine recently surprised me by having my Bible secretly rebound. The paperback book I used all through my teen and college years was absolutely falling to pieces from being hauled around for about 10 years before being packed away for safekeeping. When I pulled it back out again last year for a small group Bible study, my friend noticed its shabbiness as well as the care, excitement, and reverence with which I handled it.

Gifting it back to me as a beautiful surprise Christmas gift she wrote, “I saw the value in rescuing and preserving this part of your spiritual journey.” It’s now leather-bound with my name embossed in silver, but it still holds all the random bits and bookmarks I left between its pages as well as all the underlines and highlights from my personal studies as a young believer.

This is an even greater gift than my friend, or even I, truly understood when I first unwrapped it. Being able to leaf through and see the scriptures I considered life changing as a teen, seeing my scribbled sermon notes on the bulletins I used to mark my place on a Sunday during college, it all gives me a window into my soul being grown, torn apart, and remade as I grew in my faith.

So much has changed in my life since I walked the halls of my high school with this book tucked under my arm, but the verses I needed then are still important to me now, though perhaps in a different way.

Underlined in black pen, 1 Chronicles 22:12-13 reads: “May the Lord give you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

I know that when teenage Kristin underlined this passage, she needed to be reminded not to be afraid when given responsibilities she felt unprepared for. This verse encouraged her to stick to the moral truths she knew, to stay grounded, and to walk forward in faith in whatever life was throwing at her at the time.

Adult Kristin now seconds the writer’s prayer for wisdom and understanding in her gifted responsibilities. It’s not the fear she struggles with so much as the deep desire to stay on the path God has directed her feet to in her life today.

God is so good. His Word is alive and applicable at every point in our lives. This is a huge reason why we need to reread scripture. These two verses alone have helped me see my life journey from my faith perspective, and being able to view my growth is such a gift.

I would encourage all of us to dust off our Bibles for daily study, to take notes in the margins or on scrap paper, to underline passages that are meaningful, and to create physical documentation of our spiritual journeys. Not only will it be edifying for your daily walk now, but your future self will be able to look back and see the incredible work God has done throughout your life. I know I treasure this gift, and I look forward to adding to this faith chronicle as I continue to grow in Christ.