My Bible as a Scrapbook

Did you know your Bible could be one of the most valuable gifts you could leave your family?  I recognized this when my mother died.  I used her Bible to prepare my tribute to her life. However, I found much more than her favorite scriptures.  I found my name and a date beside verses that told me when she prayed for me and what she prayed.

Because I know what my mother prayed, I know how God answered.  It’s a scrapbook that goes deeper than pictures, programs, and decorative titles on colored paper.  For example, she marked 1 John 5:17, which reminded her to “ask anything according to his will.” All of my siblings’ names are there. How many prayers did that verse represent? Countless, I’m sure.

It brings me great peace today to know that God is still working through my mother's prayers, answering them for her children at the right time and in the right way.  Prayers do not die with a person.  God’s memory won’t let them.

My own Bible is a scrapbook, too.  I remember my early days as a new mom of 4-year-old Lisa with developing physical complications.  I was overwhelmed.  Then, I found the verse from Isaiah 40 that felt like it appeared in  neon in my Bible:  “He gently leads those with young.”  It was God reminding me not to be so hard on myself.  I began a journey of looking for God’s “gentle” leading.   

It is interesting that when I see the dates against the scripture, I don’t remember the angst associated with my need.  Instead, I remember the warmth and steadying that came when God answered me, because He always answered.

When our daughter, Lisa, experienced complicated and debilitating vision loss, I used  Psalm 5:8 over and over: “Tell me clearly what to do.”  And God did. 

In 2016, Lisa succumbed to her complicated heart issues, and I inherited her Bibles. Yes, there were several.  They became very important scrapbooks of her life, a peek into her heart that she didn’t always share.

Thumbing through her various Bibles, I found her prayer life embedded within.  She subtitled Psalm 146 “For Today” and an arrow pointed to “The Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads.”  Now I know how Lisa could lead with a smile when her small and disease-ridden body had every intention of holding her down. 

She put names beside some of the verses, and I know who she was praying for and sometimes how God answered.  I especially love the place where she inserted her name in Isaiah 43:1: “O Lisa, the Lord who created you says, 'Do not be afraid . . . you are mine.”

 Her Bibles are very colorful, but not because of the publisher.  When a verse had meaning, she gave it a color so it would jump out at her when she was looking for God’s help. Now, those verses jump out at me and bring gratitude for the way she let God help her.   

So here’s what I’m learning.  My Bible is not just my personal record of how I intersect with God’s Word and will.  One day it will be what I leave behind, a record of my spiritual journey.  It will have a second life when my family retrieves and reads it.  It will be the most important tangible record of my life that I leave behind. 

Here’s my challenge.  Don’t be afraid to mark up your Bible.  Do it often.  Consider underlining in color.  Date the verses God used to help you through a difficult time. Put a first name or initials beside the verses you pray for someone.  You have an opportunity to leave a witness that your family can use as a light to guide them in difficult times.  And remember, prayer has no expiration date.  God continues to answer your prayers for those you love, even if you aren’t around to see Him do it.