This morning I pulled my grandfather’s Bible from the shelf. The edges of the cover are tattered with age. My grandfather was born April 17, 1890 and died in 1931. He lived 41 years and 5 days according to this Bible. His middle inital was E. I don’t know what it stood for, though I can assume it might have been Eugene since that was the name he gave his son from a previous marriage. Grandfather died when my mother was only six years old and her mother, Mable Eleanor Taylor died at the age of 24 years and 4 months when my mother was only five years old. My heritage for mother’s side of the family is buried in a small graveyard in Illinois. She was adopted and her only contact was with her half-brother who died at an early age as well. My mother is also gone on to her forever home.

But holding this Bible, I feel connected to my past. I wish I had known my grandfather. I don’t even have a picture of him. He held this Bible though, and probably read from it in church. The church might have been one room with wooden pews, much like the one depicted in Little House on the Prairie. So today I wanted to read from this Red Letter, Self-Pronouncing Edition for my daily devotion. The verses are Luke 12:22-32. In my grandfather’s Bible this is from the book of St. Luke. I think the words are beautiful.

And he said unto his disciples, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Dear Heavenly Father, I give thanks today for all your many blessings. Thank you for this tattered Bible. Thank you for the names penned within by my ancestors. And thank you for the sacrifice of Your Beloved Son so that I might one day be abe to see my grandfather in my forever home. Amen.