Bibles and Blogs

"If I should die before I wake . . . "

It struck me this past Sunday that I may die. Well, it didn't go exactly like that. I was preaching and I asked the congregation to open their Bibles and mentioned that, despite what they may have been told all their lives, it was OK to mark in their Bibles. I couldn't believe the stunned look some of the older folks gave me! When I prodded, some admitted that they struggle with this instruction. So, I explained that the way I see it, when we die, our Bibles, marked with our underlinings and margin notes and names of people we were thinking about when we read certain passages and prayers, would be an invaluable gift left to those we love. At this point the oldest of the saints leaned forward to the Corps Officer and whispered, rather loudly, "I guess I'm in trouble!"

Then, when I returned home and thought about this blog, it occurred to me that blogs can become the same sort of blessing to those left behind. If I were to die today, my blogs, or xangas, or whatever we may call them (depending on where their posted, I guess) would give a pretty good picture of who we were and what we were thinking. I couldn't even imagine how incredible it would be to find my name written in my father's Bible because of his prayers for me.

I'm not planning on dying tonight, but if I do, it is my prayer that those I leave behind would know how much I loved them and how I loved my Lord. I guess this is a start.