Read through these brief inspiring encounters that came out of the Bible Engagement Fair this past weekend…
“On Saturday, a woman with two sons was looking at the children’s Bibles. As she started towards the cashier with one in her hand, the oldest boy, probably six or seven years old, started jumping up and down with a huge smile on his face. I asked him if that was his Bible. He said “Yes…It’s the greatest” while still jumping up and down and never losing the smile. Seeing his joy made my day.”
“My opening line was usually “May I help you?” and it was so clear that most people really did want help to get past their confusion and frustrations regarding Bible engagement. One woman approached the table and explained that she had given up reading the Bible years ago because her KJV was too confusing. She was unsure about buying a new one, so I mentioned we are giving an NIV away for free. The woman was stunned and asked why we would do that. I simply said, “God’s Good News is free to all who ask.” I told her the only caveat is that she needed to actually read it, and she gratefully and emphatically replied, “I will. I will.”
“On Sunday I talked with two people in their 20s who had no ideas how to get started reading the Bible for themselves. I talked them through the booklet we handed out at the service, shared with them how to choose a version and some of the online resources that could help them. They both left with new Bibles and an eagerness to start reading it with new eyes and ears. I loved seeing the excitement and hunger to learn more about our great God through His Word.”
“One woman was checking out resources to get for her siblings. Over the years she had shared the message of Christ with them and wanted to encourage them toward reading the Bible on their own. She mentioned her brother’s struggles with forgiveness, so I was able to talk with her and help her find ways to talk with him in a way that could guide him toward God in a loving way.”
“There was a young boy, maybe 9 or 10, who kept looking at the $2 Bible. He made several trips back to the table to look at it. Finally as we were putting the cover over the books, he ran up with his $2 to get his Bible. It will be interesting to see what God does in the life of that boy who persisted until his parents said, “OK, go get the Bible!”
“As I talked with a woman who had been reading the KJV faithfully since she was a kid, she said, “Based on the service, I’m thinking maybe I should get a new Bible, but I’m not sure. What do you think?” I asked her if she reads her KJV and understands it. She said, “Yes and yes. I read it everyday and it makes sense to me!” I said, “The best version of the Bible for you is the one you actually read. Sounds like you already have a winner.” This helped settle her spirit and she decided not to buy a new Bible. She left encouraged that she was already on the right path.”
“Two people came forward having read the booklet we provided in the service. They said, “The art display was amazing. It says here that to ‘get started’ we should start reading the Bible and to check out Luke and Acts. We’ll buy the St. John’s print version of the Gospels and Acts and start reading right away!”
Thanks Dan Lovaglia and his volunteer team for these awesome stories!
