A few years back I wanted a new Bible for my birthday. Mine was tattered and used and I thought it would nice to have something that looked a little nicer.

It ended up on a shelf and now years later I find myself still using the one given to me for my 8th grade graduation.

There is something about using that same Bible, the one that brought me through my high school and college years. Underlined verses bring me back to situations when that specific piece of scripture was important to me. I am reminded of God’s abundant grace and how His word walked me through specific storms of life. Wrinkled pages remind me of tears shed while searching out God’s will, and a coffee stain brings me back to that time I sat in the garden with God and got a little excited about one of the Psalms.

A Bible can tell a lot about its reader. So, when I ask someone if that is their Bible, and they reply with “yeah, and I know I need a new one. This one looks terrible and is falling apart.” I usually respond with encouragement that I think it is something to be proud of and it proves hours spent turning pages and seeking truth.

 I guess there is a chance they could have thrown their Bible down the stairs ten times to make it look that way, but I think I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

So yes, I like ugly Bibles, but more so, I like the reasons they look that way. Mine still doesn’t look anything like my great-grandmother’s, but if that is the goal; I got 75 years to go!