THE BOOK by Pamela McCormick

After my mother’s funeral, my sister boxed up many of our mother’s things and asked me to look through each box and see if there was anything that I wanted. I saw something that I had never seen in her room before, and yet, it definitely belonged to my mom. A friend had given it to her, probably when she needed it most.

The title on the small paperback was The Bible Promise Book. I had been grieving the loss of my mother and needed something tangible to hold onto until I was okay. When do you stop missing your mom? I still miss her today, and yet I have the confidence that she is in Heaven, and I will see her again one day.

I tucked the book inside my purse and waited as we cleared the apartment of her belongings, one by one. Ironically, I took many things from her apartment (clothes, other books, ornaments, etc), in some way hoping that by holding onto those things that belonged to her, I would have her with me always.

I realized that the things I had taken were just that, things, and so I donated many items to a thrift store or gave them away. For some reason, the little paperback book had more value than all the other things I gathered, and I kept it in my purse, somehow thinking I had a pearl of great value, not realizing that I truly did. Some might say it was just a book, but to me, it was a book that I would one day pass down to my children, so that whenever they needed to remember God’s Promises to us, that they would have it to read or carry with them as well.

Many years passed. I was so proud of my little book. Although I didn’t open it much, I still knew that God’s Promises were true, and I carried it more like a security blanket like Linus did in the Peanuts’ cartoon series.

One day, I went to a convenience store to buy a lottery ticket. As I left the store and got back into my car, there was a tug on my heart that I could not explain, and yet I waited, got still, and listened. God wanted me to give my little book to the owners inside.

The argument began. I have to interject here that when there is a debate between me and God, He wins every time. It’s easier just to surrender to His plan, even when I don’t understand, but I had to get my point across too. So glad God loves me still.

“God, this belonged to my mom. I could never give it up. Don’t You understand? It’s the one thing that she left me I hold on to because by holding onto it, I feel like I still have her with me. Please, God, no.”

After pleading, I opened the front flap of the book and wrote on it the plan of salvation, Romans 10:13, that says, “Everyone who calls on The Name of The Lord will be saved.” I also included a brief note that God loved them and how precious this book was to me, but for God’s Glory, I would give it up, so they might know His Love too.

My heart hurt, and yet, I wanted to stop arguing with God and just listen for a change. I knew Jesus. Was I going to hold on to that little book, or was I going to do what God wanted?

Many months passed, and one day a friend told me about a “yard sale” going on inside an old Kmart building. I said I wasn’t going to go, and yet about 11:00, only God knew why, I was on my way to the store. Along the way, here I am questioning God again and saying, “God, what am I doing? I have other things that need tending to, and I don’t have time to go to this yard sale, plus I don’t need anything.

The most precious thing about God is that He listens even when I’m complaining, and He loves me just the same. That’s how Great God is.

So, I go inside and walk straight, still not knowing why I was drawn to a bookcase in the center of the room. For those who don’t know me well, I have never been an avid reader. I read, but just not as much as some others. So, why am I at a bookcase full of books, when there were plenty of other things I could have been looking at instead?

Don’t ever try to figure God out, because to this day, I cannot tell you how wonderfully perfect He was to me that day. There, mixed in with all the other books, was a brand new, never used copy of The Bible Promise Book, just waiting for a small price of fifty cents. Needless to say, I grabbed it and held it close to my heart, and praised God for sending me there and giving back to me something that He knew was precious to me.

Right now, the book is beside my bed, and although I tend to forget to read God’s Promises to me daily, just having the book next to me is somehow enough. God knew what I needed more than I did. That’s the way it always is. God knows what everyone needs. We just have to wait on Him, and He knows, He loves, He pursues us too, and He lavishes wonderful gifts on His children because He loves us.

As a footnote, the convenience store owners added some things to their store. Bracelets that say, “Saved by Grace” and crosses too. I don’t know if they know The Lord, but I know this. God is in control, and God had His reasons for me sharing the promise book that day. All I could do was obey, even when I didn’t understand. God would take care of the rest.

Pam McCormick is an aspiring writer who recently retired from teaching in the public school and community college setting and still enjoys tutoring Algebra at the local library. Pam had a story, “The End,” published in Isothermal’s magazine, The Mentor, in December, 2014. Pam was also published in December 2016 in collaboration with eight other authors to write a devotional book, Ancient Stones Timeless Encouragement. Pam is a member of the Encouragers’ Christian Writers’ Group that meets monthly. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and tent camping with her husband, watching old time westerns, doing crossword puzzles and spending time with her daughter in Maryland and her son, his wife and granddaughters, Merryn and Charlotte in Fuquay-Varina. You can contact her at pjmc411@gmail.com.