Discovered this gem of an article from the Dunedin Methodist Parish while surfing the net (yes I was supposed to be doing other things ... which I will get back to as soon as I have finished this post). I just love the way the author talks about her family, and how the love ran deep rather than superficial indulgence. Elizabeth's FAITH acronym (Forsaking all I follow him) reminds me of my Grandmother's Bible that I have inherited. In the back flyleaf she has inscribed WATCH - Watch your words, actions, thoughts, companions, heart. Grandee's Bible is inscribed 1903 - when she would also have been a teenager or pre-teen. My daughter uses my teenage Bible for religion classes at school. Mine is more filled with long quotes that inspired me than the acronyms of the past. My own memory is of JOY - Jesus first, others second, yourself last. Like Elizabeth I now want to question the wisdom of the subservience implied or required. Yet there is something special about these Bibles, and the earnest and diligent love for God that led teenage girls to inscribe their treasured books with codes for living. I now try to keep a up-to-date and relevant banner on my mobile phone, and screensaver on my computer to prompt me to live my life in the unforced rhythm of grace, or to remember the prevenient grace that is waiting to surprise me. As Elizabeth concludes:
It’s a tough call then, to be given responsibility for the use of a cell phone or a Bible. My granddaughter and I both know that walking about with one’s head down, reading or sending text messages, can lead one to bump into all manner of things and even risk getting hurt. It’s best to watch where you’re going, and to switch off if it’s likely to hinder other helpful conversations or learning. But, of course, neither technology nor tradition is any use at all if it’s out of range.
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