Today I wanted to share with you some observations I have from this morning when I went out with a friend on a bible distribution.
Let me back up and explain how this came about in the first place. A few years ago my husband joined The Gideons International and became a Gideon, because he thought it would be cool to hand out bibles at schools. I thought that was cool, and eventually I also joined with my husband and over the past few years have grown a passion for giving out the Word of God to anyone who will take it from me.
Enter what the women do with the Gideons. Whereas the men get to go to schools, and hotels to hand out bibles, the women get to go to medical offices, hospitals and domestic violence shelters. So this morning I went out with an older lady in her 70's and we visited some of the local medical offices here in my area.
I was excited about the opportunity to go into each office and offer a bible for the waiting room, and also a personal New Testament to each medical person working in the offices, but to be honest, it can be intimidating...and a little bit scary. Because there is always the possibility of rejection.
Which brings me back to what happened this morning. I am happy to report that we had more people say yes to the bibles, than no. However, those who said no, really said NO. They were adamant about not having the bible in the waiting room at all.
I was also told on more than one occasion that they weren't allowed to take the bible, or that they had a bible we gave them before, but it was in the cabinet where no one had access to it. (Nice huh!)
Well, that got me thinking as I walked away from those offices, how sad it is that there are people all over the world in persecuted nations who are praying and pleading with God for a bible, and yet here in America, we are offering the bible in abundance for free and it's being rejected...by some.
There was one point this morning where I wanted to share with a lady who was very adamant with her "no" about what people in persecuted nations go through, for even wanting a bible, or having one, if they are fortunate enough to have one.
But I wasn't allowed to because I was told to remember that when people reject the Word of God, they are rejecting God, not me.
All that to say, it isn't as easy to hand out the Word of God in America as you may think. Yet, we do know that the Word never returns void and it will accomplish what the Lord has ordained for it.
Which brings me to a gentle reminder to all of you who have not yet joined Bibles Unbound yet. Bibles Unbound is the coolest program here at The Voice of the Martyrs, because you get to send bibles to people who are longing for them. Take time to sign up today, for only $30 a month you can send 5 bibles to a restricted nation.
And I thank you in advance!