My mother’s Bible is at the top of my “wish list” when she leaves this world for eternity. The pages are worn and some are ripped. It’s been recovered in an effort to extend its life but even the new leather is now desperate for repair.
It has the same words as my Bible, but her margin-scribbled commentary is different. In those small spaces she has recorded her thoughts, notes and pieces of her heart. It’s the Bible from which much teaching, correction and encouragement have come throughout the years. Her love for her family is evident on those thin pages.
I want to leave something similar to my four sons – and I don’t want them to cast lots for it. My desire is to send a piece of my heart with each of them when they leave home as a record of all the early mornings and late nights I spent praying for them.
Several years ago I got a wide-margin Bible for each of my sons. Periodically I take those Bibles from the shelves and write notes to them – things I’m praying for on their behalf, my thoughts on a particular passage or wisdom I want them to remember. Often I mark the date next to a scripture I’ve shared with them about something going on their lives at the time – like dating, managing money or making big decisions. It’s a wonderful way to preserve my thoughts to share with them later.
Kid One is considering colleges and it can be overwhelming for him. In his Bible, I noted our conversation next to James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” I reminded him of the day we prayed for God to give him wisdom as he makes decisions about leaving home.
In another son’s Bible, I penned a personal message next to John 1:41-42 “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” I referenced Andrew’s urgent action of bringing his brother to Jesus and wrote, “Son, your brothers are a priority. Pray for them and encourage them in the Word of God.”
Those are just examples. The four Bibles on my shelf are full of little pieces of my heart for my sons. My prayer is they will know my love for them long after they leave home. Maybe then, they will get a glimpse of the countless days I go to the Father on their behalf. Will they add to it and pass it along to their children? Will it change the lives of my great-grandchildren when I’m not around to pray for them personally? Perhaps one of them will preach the gospel to a lost and dying world someday, holding the Bible I prepared for them.
Father, let the words in these Bibles be a legacy for my children and change the world for your glory. Amen.
About Kim Heinecke
Kim Heinecke wants to live in a world where children listen to the advice of their mothers without question. As a former single mom she’s been encouraging women using her life experiences in parenting, growing in the Word of God and everything in between. When she’s not negotiating with a teenager or wrestling a pre-schooler, you can find her camping in the family RV or pretending to understand sports with her husband and four sons. Read more from Kim at www.TheMomExperiment.com.