Thy Word
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
– Psalm 119:105
I LOVE books!!! Any kind of book is a gift to me and has been since I was a little girl. My public library was my home away from home. I can still close my eyes and in my mind walk through the different sections: young reader autobiographies, the Ramona Quimby book series was on the 3rd row, the adult books were on the right. It was through my love of reading that I fell most in love with the Bible.
I first began reading the Bible because of a reading program through my church (much like LEER), First United Methodist Church of Lovington, New Mexico. The kids were challenged to read as many books as possible, and in my 2nd or 3rd grade mind, the ‘biggest’ book was the Bible. I fell in love with the Word of God through this challenge and won a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut!
Looking back, I realize this was a life-changing moment for me – one that impacts my life every day. As I began to read through the Bible as a child, I would choose a key verse and write it down in my journal and then write my thoughts about that passage. This was an idea that I got from a book series by Barry St. Clair on how to grow in your faith.
I see now that those days, months, years, and decades of carefully reading through God’s word, reflecting, and allowing it to shape me has been formational and transformational. Incredibly, there was not a single chapter of the Bible in which God did not share something with me – from a question to ponder, a verse I loved, or a story of someone who inspired me. I even found the book of Leviticus interesting, puzzling, and just another reminder of how much God cares for us, His people. I have found comfort and strength in the Psalms. I have spent more time than I would like to admit studying Revelation!!
God’s word is a rare gift. It can illuminate our lives, share deep wisdom, and help to grow us to be more like Christ. Scripture and the Spirit can change us, challenge, and guide us.
I ask that you join me in praying for the children as they learn to love reading through LEER, Camp Stars, and Reading Buddies. I pray each time I walk through the book entrance into the Enchanted Forest of Reading in Kidspace that they will find God in the pages of books as they explore creation. I pray that they will be inspired by stories and encouraged to grow in reading because it has been so profound to many of us, and that the path will lead them to the Bible. And I pray that God’s light would indeed illuminate their path.
Let us pray:
Creator God, we read of your miraculous creation, the world you created with a few simple words, and the ways you have loved your creation. Help us to share this gift with others and to continue to open our lives to your Word. We ask that Your Light shine to guide others to this gift. Amen.
Rev. Tiffany Hollums
Executive Director, McCurdy Ministries
From Santa Fe, New Mexico
(Photo is of the entryway to the LEER Enchanted Forest of Reading)
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