They always say you never miss something until you lose it
...it is so true.
I was reminded once again on how easily we can take things for granted, in this case it was my bible.
A black New King James version I have carried with me around the country on planes, in hotel rooms, restaurants, wherever I went, it was sure to go. I had an early wake up call about 3:45 AM to make about an hours drive to the airport. I had made it through my first leg and had enjoyed a welcomed upgrade to a first class seat. I placed my Zune and Bible in the seatback pocket and enjoyed my flight.
I was reading through Nehemiah, listened to some music as well as some powerful teaching from Neil Rhodes of Times Square Church in New york City. I landed in Dallas and took some time to get off the plane and went to wait for my next connection.
As I took a quick inventory of things I realized I had left my bible in the seatback pocket. You know the sinking feeling you get, well I got it. How could I have just left it on the plane. Now it was too late to go around to the gate to retrieve it as this flight was boarding. Hopefully someone will turn it in to lost and found and I can pick it up on my return.
Why the long story. Well it seems that every once and a while we need a reminder of what is truly important and lasting. Our society is surrounded by so much business, technology, gadgets, noise and other distractions too numerous to go into mentioning here. All of these things one day will be gone. When you are going through a trial or facing a difficult situation or challenge, CNN's airport channel will not be there to offer the solution, neither will a magazine on the newstand give you comfort. Your favorite music player be it an iPod or Zune although being filled with encouraging messages and music still cannot provide the solution that opening up the pages of a gently used bible.
I have even seen many who have digital versions of their bible living on their laptops and even their iPods but nothing compares to actually holding a version of the bible in your hands where you can smell the bonded leather and touch the delicate pages and open it with your eyes falling on just the right word that you needed for that moment in time. They used to call it bible baseball but I just call it just searching for the voice of the lover of our souls who knows exactly what we need when we need it.
Thank goodness for "The Gideons" who's mission is to place bibles in hotel rooms for weary travellers who might not have brought their bible or who might not even own one or like me who just need to remember how precious it is to bring your own along with you. You can be sure that I will be checking not only my seatback pocket but also my heart to make sure that God's word is never taken for granted so easily.
"Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
