The sweetest thing

I cannot remember my first Bible. For as long as I can remember I've always just had one. Sure, I remember a few of them...the red one with the handle that I loved, the purple one {that made me so mad because there was an age limit on the back and I still had it when I was older than what the age limit was}, the teen study Bible, my first little ESV, my first study Bible and the one that my mama has {because I seriously want to be just like her when I grow up} that I made my dad write my name in because I like his handwriting better than mine...but I'm probably missing a few in there.

So I've never known what it's like to get my first Bible. I don't remember ever been in awe over getting a new Bible...I don't think there has ever been a wondrous glimmer in my eye with the realization that I was handed the most precious gift that I could ever be given.

I also did not know what what I was missing until very recently.

However, this post is not about me. It's about Aris {sweet Aris, with whom most days I can't decide if I want to hug or shake}.

Our first day after Spring/Easter break, we read about the Passover, betrayal, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. I know he had heard parts of it, but I wasn't sure if he had heard the whole thing all at once, so thats what we did in class. We talked about different things throughout the story and he was tracking with me. He didn't look particularly interested or disinterested. He just listened. And responded when I asked a question.

Then I closed the Bible. And I looked at him and he looked at the Bible and he looked at me and said "Thats a nice Bible, Miss Laugherty" and I looked at him and smiled and said "You think so? It's yours"

He looked at me like I was kidding. But I wasn't. I passed it to him and he looked at me and his eyes lit up. He gently picked it up like it was the most precious thing that had ever been given {which, he had}, rubbed his hands over the cover, opened it and closed it few times to listen to binding crackle with newness. He admired how the pages are white, yet the edge of pages are gold. He picked it up and let it fall open and he weighed it in his hand and said that his Bible teacher from a couple of years ago always said that a good preaching Bible was one that when it opened, it molded to your hand.

He graciously informed me that his little brother would not be allowed to use it for Bible homework...

Then there was the dilemma of where to put it? His book-bag was the obvious choice but there were 2 definite problems with that. The first one being "I put stuff I don't care about into my book-bag" and the second, "I had my hockey stuff in that bag for a few days and it still smells" {I mostly think it went into a zipped pocket behind the main {and apparently smelly} part of the bag}

After all this I got an iron-clad promise that he would never throw it away, and even though he isn't ready for God right now {at least thats what he thinks}, that his Bible would be the first place he would go to when everything else has failed {"Only if you or a couple of other teachers are not here, Miss Laugherty...because I'd probably think to come to you guys first anyway"}.

My hope and prayer for Aris is that the Lord would continue to work on his heart and continue to draw him near....that the Lord would break Aris' heart and that he would find no rest until he is resting in the One that can give him true rest and that he would come to understand the only verse he has memorized {which he wanted to look up in his very own Bible!}: John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly!" {exclamation point added by me}