A Resting Place
The Sunday afternoon of September 21st, 1975 was a beautiful sunny day in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I can still see my mom and dad walking down the street with our cocker spaniel Rusty happily tagging along. It was only about 30 minutes later that the phone rang, and our neighbor said, “I think your dog was hit by a car.”
My brothers and I dashed out the door and ran down Jupiter Avenue toward the accident. We could see a small crowd gathered at the side of the road. As I made my way through the people I could see Rusty lying on the street and foaming at the mouth. However, his eyes were still open, so I said out loud, “Maybe he’ll be OK”. Instantly, an older boy in the crowd said, “No way! That dog is DEAD!”
The word “DEAD” reverberated in my little 8-year-old soul. Death was something that only happened in the movies and on TV. Right? When I fell asleep that night I dreamt about seeing Rusty on our stairway. As I ran up the stairs to meet him I cried, “Rusty, I thought I had lost you!” The moment I spoke those words I awoke to realize…I had lost him.
The very next Sunday, in accordance with our Lutheran tradition, I received a Blue Denim Good News Bible for which I will always be grateful. It was a friendly Bible with an easy vocabulary and was illustrated with stick people. I can still remember reading a little section of verses and thinking to myself, “I just read the Bible.” This Bible not only instilled confidence that I could read the Bible, but it did something else for me.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
As I began to read this new Bible, the focus of my soul started to “accidentally” shift from my grief over Rusty to an excitement over these new words that I could now understand. Even in hindsight I can’t fully explain it. However, it was as though I was coming to Jesus every time I picked up that little Bible to read it. I wasn’t picking it up with a sense of duty or an obligation to check a box. I was simply picking it up because I was finding rest in those words.
Have you ever felt an aversion toward the Bible? I have! The very sight of it can sometimes trigger a burden from the last thing you did wrong to the last time you read the Bible. It’s at those times I endeavor to look at my Bible through the “fresh eyes” of an 8-year-old little boy who found a resting place from his grief in the very same words.
My brothers and I dashed out the door and ran down Jupiter Avenue toward the accident. We could see a small crowd gathered at the side of the road. As I made my way through the people I could see Rusty lying on the street and foaming at the mouth. However, his eyes were still open, so I said out loud, “Maybe he’ll be OK”. Instantly, an older boy in the crowd said, “No way! That dog is DEAD!”
The word “DEAD” reverberated in my little 8-year-old soul. Death was something that only happened in the movies and on TV. Right? When I fell asleep that night I dreamt about seeing Rusty on our stairway. As I ran up the stairs to meet him I cried, “Rusty, I thought I had lost you!” The moment I spoke those words I awoke to realize…I had lost him.
The very next Sunday, in accordance with our Lutheran tradition, I received a Blue Denim Good News Bible for which I will always be grateful. It was a friendly Bible with an easy vocabulary and was illustrated with stick people. I can still remember reading a little section of verses and thinking to myself, “I just read the Bible.” This Bible not only instilled confidence that I could read the Bible, but it did something else for me.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
As I began to read this new Bible, the focus of my soul started to “accidentally” shift from my grief over Rusty to an excitement over these new words that I could now understand. Even in hindsight I can’t fully explain it. However, it was as though I was coming to Jesus every time I picked up that little Bible to read it. I wasn’t picking it up with a sense of duty or an obligation to check a box. I was simply picking it up because I was finding rest in those words.
Have you ever felt an aversion toward the Bible? I have! The very sight of it can sometimes trigger a burden from the last thing you did wrong to the last time you read the Bible. It’s at those times I endeavor to look at my Bible through the “fresh eyes” of an 8-year-old little boy who found a resting place from his grief in the very same words.
Ed House
Pastor at Door of Life Christian Church, Sister Bay
Comments
Post a Comment