Every Bible

Now and then I am just blown away with what God has done for us.  Not only did He restore Ron after the accident (He's the man I love, and he can do pretty well for himself), He actually used to accident as a springboard for huge evangelism. 

"Every Bible I hand out" I wrote on Facebook "Goes back to Ron lying dead in the road, next to a totalled out pickup truck." 

God brought him back to me, a better man in many ways.  Those who didn't like the Ron of a few years ago would have really loathed pre-accident Ron - the guy Ron calls Ron 1.0.   He detests the man he was and aims to please God. 

He has doubts.  He gets tired.  He gets frustrated.  Ron knows Heaven is so much better than this (he got a peek).  He gets tired of politics, drama, and sorrow.  He hates to worry about money, and he hates watching me battle my illness. 

But he's Ron, only better. 

I don't have permission to talk about who he was, and I probably wouldn't anyway.  I can speak in general terms: He didn't value me much, or respect our relationship.  He usually felt he could "do a lot better" than me if he just looked around.  And he did. 

That all changed on January 7, 2003. 

While God was working on comatose Ron (God made a good point to me one day - Ron had suffered so much trauma he needed time to heal, or he'd be screaming in agony.  I didn't want Ron to suffer so I accepted the coma as best I could.), God was also working on me. 

Waiting in Shock Trauma ICU was some of the worst pain of my life, yet I knew God was holding my hand through it all.  God provided for my needs in amazing ways.  Someone would mail a check, or pass the hat at work (one reason I am fiercely loyal to "MY" Postal Workers), and hand me the money just when I faced eviction, utility shut off, etc.  I never worried about a meal.  Someone would come by and buy me a meal, bring me snacks. 

One day my father in law brought me a few handfuls of change, folded up in a piece of foil.  I treasured the coins. 

I learned to rely more on God, and I learned to rely on others.  The second lesson was a lot harder for me, I'm a very proud person.  I am determined to prove "I can". 

So, I swallowed my pride and watched God work.  As I read my Bible, seeking God's comfort, I realized all the other families in the ICU waiting room needed the same comfort. 

I had extra Bibles at home.  During one mania I'd bought several, cheap Bibles.  I brought them in, sneaking in during the "lunch period" when the room was supposed to be vacant.  I laid them on various side tables and scurried out like a rodent. 

I went to lunch, when I came back every family had a Bible.  Not only that, every family devoured a Bible. 

As time passed God showed me everyone suffered.  I was good at hiding it, so were they.  But they needed Jesus just as much as the ICU waiting room families.  I started handing out Bibles.  My Bibles. 

Then I got smart and started buying Bibles just to give away.  Happily, some of this intersected with a major Bible publisher's giveaway drive.  They offered very affordable whole Bibles (not anymore!) and I bought hundreds. 

One day God put it in my head to go stand on the corner with a Free Bibles sign.  I did it.  I saw how He could use me, if I let Him. 

Today I got 4 cases of Bibles.  A sponsor bought them.  You can bet I'll be praying on how to use them. 

It's about making God happy, at the end of the day. 

I never forget: every Bible I hand out goes back to Ron, lying dead in the road, next to a totalled out pickup truck.