I woke up this morning at 6:30 a.m. to my husband's very loud phone
alarm. He was nowhere in sight. My phone alarm was set for 7 a.m., so I
was perturbed. But then I thought, "Well, maybe God is helping me to actually get up on time. I do not want to start this day yelling at Ron. Plus, now I can
sleep another half hour." I felt pretty good about how I handled that.
When I did get up, I moseyed downstairs and Ron was outside with the dog, playing in the
snow. I read the 3 x 5 note card I had put on the
fridge:
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my
lips.--Psalm 141: 3.
I had been thinking for a few
days that I should look at that more often, maybe even memorize
it. I took it down from the fridge and brought it to the dining room
table, where I do my Bible study and prayer.
Ron came in, all bundled up. Sandy was bouncy and happy. As Ron was
putting away his things, I mentioned to him from the other room that he
had left his alarm on, and that it had woken me up. He muttered
something I didn't hear, so I went around the corner
to where he was, and he repeated that he thought he had turned the
volume down. Promptly forgetting the Bible verse I had just read, I
told him that he had not turned the volume down, that it was really
loud, and that I have asked him several times in the
past to turn his alarm off when he got up.
Onward. A little later, Ron was eating his microwaved egg and I
was asking him something, I don't remember what, and he bit his
tongue--really bad. He snapped at me, because I made him talk while he
was chewing. I can understand that. When I get hurt,
sometimes I do the same thing. But, forgetting the verse AGAIN, I retorted,
"Hey, don't blame me! It's not MY fault you bit your tongue."
I sat down, repentant, at my Bible. There I found my directions. THIS
was what I was supposed to be doing with my mouth, my heart, my whole
being. The words of the Psalm I read were glowing bright with beauty and
hope. I copied them down in my notebook:
O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the
Lord.
Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. --Psalm 105:1-4
I was so encouraged! But then got distracted, thinking about the New
Testament I was going to give my friend. It was a hardback Ryrie Study
Bible I had found at the library used book store. She had a Bible, but it had no footnotes
or references, so I was going to give her that one. What distracted me was the thought, "I bet it
doesn't have the Psalms." A lot of times New Testaments include the
Psalms, which are a part of the Old Testament, but I
didn't think this one did.
I went over to where I had placed it, on a shelf near the door, where I
put things I don't want to forget. What I DID forget, however, is that
the dog's water bowl is on the floor, right next to that shelf, and that you
should never, EVER put a book you care about
in the exact spot where I had set that Ryrie New
Testament. Splash.
I spent the next 45 minutes drying every page
with a hair dryer. I can't stand to throw a Bible away. But I
couldn't give it to my friend, and I didn't have another one
to give her. Sure, I could go online
and buy one, but then you don't know what it's going to be
like--the paper quality, is the font
readable, are the pages too thin...? I decided to go back to the
library book store. They are open on Fridays.
You never know what you'll find at a used book
store. I hoped I could find something acceptable. Also, I had
recently given away a very readable softcover Gideon's New Testament & Psalms, and I wished I had another one
of those for my friend. She wanted to give one to a guy who was
pursuing her. So I had my eyes
open.
I'll confess I wasn't too hopeful. I brought my son along, and we were going to pick up a movie and stop by our favorite
coffee shop afterwards. He did find a fun Ragtime Blues Guitarists book, featuring sheet music for "Rabbit Foot Blues," by Blind Lemon Jefferson, "Police Dog Blues," by
Blind Blake, and many others by Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Willie McTell,
and a few other guys who might not have been
blind, as they were not called so.
After perusing the Bible/Hymnal/other religions shelves for a few
minutes, what appeared before my eyes made me literally laugh out loud.
It was EXACTLY the same Hardback Ryrie Study Bible New Testament that I
had just drowned!!! I could not believe it!
I was so excited, I ran up and told the girl at the counter,
who could not have cared less. I looked up and smiled. "Thank you,
Father," I said happily, still amazed.
I then decided to seek out a second New Testament, suitable for my
friend to give to her would-be suitor. Studying the shelves just long
enough to begin exasperating my son, I spied a thin blue softcover,
pulled it out, and...it was the SAME Gideon's New Testament
& Psalms I had recently given away, the EXACT one I had wanted for
my friend's admirer! Hohoho!!! What an incredible day!
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
My Meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. --Psalm 104:33
