Reading....and learning.

 

(A favorite photo of foot prints on the beach in Maui...i can't remember if those are my foot prints or Robert's foot prints, though.)

I've taken on a challenge of sorts this summer....i'm reading the Bible. I've only read bits and pieces through the years, which is funny considering i went to Catholic School. What's even more funny (okay, not really funny at all, sigh...) was the fact that i had no idea that there were so many Bibles. I had just assumed that there was an "official" Bible and that was the only one there was; because, of course, i totally assumed that everyone in the world was Catholic. Not so about an "official" type of Bible. There are not only different Bibles (traditional, study, reference, "place in life", one year Bibles, Children's Bibles, Pastor Bibles, Parallel Bibles, Chronological Bibles, and a few Speciality Bibles....)but there are different translations of the Bible (King James, New American Standard, NIV, New English Bible, and Free translation Bibles also known as the Contemporary English Version). It actually took one of my very close friends from MOPS to patiently explain the differences to me and which one she thought was best for me to read.....otherwise, i am sure that i would still be sitting on the Bible aisle trying to figure it out or would have just given up all together. Thank heaven for a good friend with lots of patience and knowledge!

I already had a Bible that was given to me at the time of my First Communion. I had long ago given up on reading that beautiful white Bible that my parents had given me that day. At the time of my Communion, i was really too young to grasp the King James version; over the years, i picked that beautiful Bible up to flip through it, believing that i really just wasn't smart enough to read it. And of course, i wondered why in the world someone would write a Bible that i would have so much trouble reading! Surely there were others like me who couldn't understand the Bible! Growing up, i had decided that i wanted to become a nun (yes, you read that correctly, folks) because of the way they took care of others in need and had such a strong belief and such a giving heart. My father wasn't exactly thrilled about what i announced that i wanted to do at the age of 8....and discouraged it over my growing up years. So, i decided that i wanted to join the Peace Corps. Yeah, he totally nixed that idea, too, and me being the 'good' girl at that time, well, i listened. I wonder if parents understand how strong their encouragement (or no encouragement!) effects a child's choices?

Back to the Bible reading....

It's going, well, it's going slow. Very slow. I guess i want to make sure that i understand what i'm reading and that means taking my time. Which is hard to do sometimes when you have a toddler. I usually read when Emma naps or goes down for the night as it's the quietest time for me. I'm treating this Bible of mine like most books that i have--i underline parts that i love and have huge question marks where there is something i don't understand.

Yeah, there ARE a lot of question marks in this new Bible of mine....

...and so i'm in the mist of deciding who to pester with my questions.

It's interesting, the Bible is. People seem to be people whether they are in the Bible or are in the here and now in regard to their actions, thoughts and treatment of others. That has surprised me the most, i guess. And of course, sin and how people act (or don't act...) has been amazing to read. I'm glad that i've decided to read the Bible...this past year in MOPS was difficult in that i was serving with women who seem to have such an understanding of what the Bible is while i, well, didn't and didn't even really own a Bible. But i guess i need to remember that we are all works in the making...and i wonder how many other members are like me?

The one thing that i do know is why reading the Bible has become so important to me. I want to be able to teach Emma about these things and be able to answer her questions; it's hard to teach something that you know so little about. Interesting how being a parent makes you want to be a better person and know more about the world around you....

We are still in the mist of looking for a church where we've moved to and have found two that we like. Perhaps i should attend a Bible Study class? Or maybe corner one of my MOPS mentors? Either way, i still have a lot of reading (and underlining and questions marks!) to do....

...but it's a start. :)