An old red Bible sat on a table at the entrance of the chapel of the funeral home. It was absolutely, worn out. The cover was ragged and the pages frayed. It was obvious that the owner of this Bible had read it until it was falling apart. I am sure it wasn’t his only Bible and I don’t know how many he wore out over the years but the condition of that old red Bible spoke volumes. It belonged to the man whose body was lying in the casket in the chapel. He had gone to be with his Lord at 83 years old.

The lines leading into the chapel were long and with each person in line, there was a story of how this man had touched their lives. They spoke of his generosity, kindness and encouragement in tough times. Some shared that he led them to the Lord. I had known him to be a kind and caring man. He was also a praying man. While in the hospital before his death, he prayed with many who came into his room. Some, who came to offer a prayer for him, left having been prayed for by him, because that was the kind of man he was.

I believe there was a definite connection between the life that man lived and the condition of that old red Bible. He read it and put it in his heart, day after day and year after year. He prayed and talked with the Lord and the Lord talked back to Him through the pages of that old Bible. God’s word is powerful and it does change lives when we take time to read it and put it in our hearts. As the preacher said the night of the funeral, “a man that has a Bible that is falling apart means his life isn’t.” Let’s take time to wear out a Bible or two before we leave this world. If we do, we will leave more than a ragged Bible, we will leave a legacy and people whose lives we have touched that will carry on till Jesus comes.

That man was Amy Patterson’s papaw, O.M. Woods. The legacy continues!