It was 1982 when I received my first Gideon-placed Bible. I was only 10 years old at the time and I was briefly attending a girls club at a local church. I didn’t know much about God; perhaps there was a God somewhere distant up above, but I wasn’t sure. I’d heard about Jesus, mostly through religious instruction at primary school, but faith wasn’t something spoken about in my family when I was young, and the religious instruction class felt more like a history lesson.
I treasured that little brown Bible when I received it. Having it brought me comfort, even at a young age. Perhaps it made me wonder and hope. It helped me to start talking to God. I wrote my name and date in the back of the Bible where it mentions ‘making a decision for Christ’, but to be honest, I didn’t really understand what that meant at the time.
When I was 13, in Year 8, The Gideons visited with Bibles. I remember standing in the courtyard and a man from The Gideons was sharing. I can’t recall what he spoke about, but we all received a small Bible that day. This time I received a red one. I went home and over time I read parts of my small Bible (now I had two!) and this began my journey of faith in Jesus. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” was a verse that seemed to penetrate my heart. Over the next little while I ended up going with a friend to a local church, and I gave my heart to Jesus on the first night I went. This was the best decision of my life.
Now 40+ years on, my family also love the Lord. My husband and children walk closely with Jesus. My mum also is a believer.
Thank you Gideons, and to all those that God planted on my journey towards knowing His love.
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” – Psalm 119:103 (ESV)