Marriage Monday for October 11

The unexpected reaction...

Several weeks ago Oscar and I had a discussion in which he mentioned he'd never had a Bible of his own. He had one as a child, but it was a child's Bible. He has never had an "adult" Bible. So, for his birthday this past weekend I decided that my gift to him would be the Life Application Study Bible, so I got it in the NIV version (the version we use at church and the easiest one to read without all the "thee's" and "thou's", etc. that doesn't change the context of what is being said, plus it seems like it would be easier for someone with the severe dyslexia like he has to understand). I got it in a nice, soft, Italian leather with his name imprinted on the front in gold. I figured that would be nice for him to see his name on it and know that was HIS Bible, and looking inside the Bible I knew that the Life Application part of it was really going to be key for him.

So, we all went to dinner on Friday night before Emily had to go to her dad's for the weekend and I gave it to him there at the restaurant. I was completely unprepared for his reaction though. I was a little uncertain about giving it to him b/c my ex would have scoffed at and ridiculed a gift like that. With a little apprehension I watched as he opened it and immediately said, "Oh WOW!" with such excitement that one would think he'd been given a priceless heirloom. After that, he had to compose himself and he was speechless for a good while. He was fighting back tears and when he could finally talk he looked at me and put his hand over his heart and said, "You have absolutely...no idea what this means to me. Thank you!" He was excited to be able to use it for the first time yesterday in church and is so proud of it that he has told his family about it, told our pastor about it and showed it to him and he prefaced it by saying, "My wife loves me so much, she gave me my first Bible for my birthday!" That's how much such a simple gift, in my point of view, meant to him

I will never take such a thing as having had my own Bible(s) for years for granted again when faced with the reaction of Oscar to his first "real" Bible. He has had his nose in that Bible several times since Friday just looking at things and figuring out how it works with the Life Application part and you can tell that to him it is like water to a man on the verge of dying of thirst.

I have challenged my husband to read the Bible through, cover to cover, and I promised him that I would be doing the same thing, especially since, sadly I have never done the same myself. It is my prayer that as Oscar treasures the Bible he has been given, that our already awesome marriage will continue to grow and be strengthened in the Lord as we individually grow and are strengthened in our walks with Him. I am encouraged so far that we are on the right track.

You can find the Mr. Linky to other Marriage Mondays at Come Have a Peace.