"When I Am Through With This Book" - Updated

This was originally posted on 6/8/2016, but I thought it would be appropriate to revisit it this week in honor of Mother's Day.  Please read on...

Original Post 6/8/2016:

The above is a picture of the flyleaf inside my husband's grandmother's Bible. The back story on why he has this Bible in his possession is another story, but it is kind of a story within the story. First things first...

Please notice the little inscription at the bottom of the right hand page:

"For Vivian R. Steiner

Whin I am throu with this Book

July 31, 1956

Mother"

Pearl Sarah Elizabeth Waters Martin

Vivian is my husband's mother. Pearl Martin is her mother.  Pearl (we called her "Nanny Martin") wanted to make sure that her youngest (of four) daughters would receive this Bible "Whin I am throu with this Book".  She wrote that on on July 31, 1956, but she was not "throu" with this Bible until almost twenty seven years later, when the Lord called her home to heaven in January of 1983.  I am thinking that she may have felt like her time to go home would be much sooner, hence the inscription so early on.  

You see, her husband, John Martin,

John Richard Martin

had passed on a couple of years prior to that in 1954 after sustaining serious injuries in a tragic automobile accident.  He was only about 62 years old when he died.  So I'm thinking that Pearl didn't believe she would live too many more years after that.  But she did...even long enough for me to become a part of the family when I married her grandson in 1969...and even long enough to meet her great grandsons that we brought into the world in the subsequent years.





I also wanted to point out the  presentation message written above her inscription, to: 

"Mrs. Pearl Martin, 

With Appreciation from E.F.D., 

Zellwood, Fla. 

August, 1930

and especially note the scripture reference of Matthew 25:40, which says:

"And the King will answer and say to them,

'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, 

you did it to Me.'"

Now, I have no idea who "E.F.D." in Zellwood, Fla. was. However,  knowing my husband's grandmother from all the wonderful stories I have heard throughout the years, I can only imagine that this was someone to whom she had ministered in some way, possibly in her home. My husband's grandparents often held worship services in their home and many ministers and fellow brethren in Christ  spent many Sundays studying God's Word and breaking bread together in their humble home.(You can read more about that HERE)

My husband's grandparents did not have much of this world's goods...but what they did have was eternally valuable.  This little Bible that Pearl wanted to be sure went to her youngest daughter, my mother in law, was the most valuable gift she could give.  In looking through the pages, it is obvious that she was a serious student of God's Word, and she passed on that love of God and His Word to her children and to her children's children...especially my husband, who later became an ordained minister of the Gospel and has taught and preached God's Word for over forty years now.

My husband recently received this Bible from his mother, who is now almost 93 years old.  We are in the process of cleaning out her home and putting things in storage so that her house can be sold. For the past couple of years she has been living between our home and her other son's home as she is no longer able to live alone.  

But the real story here is not about things, books, or even the Bible.  The real story is the legacy that has been passed on from generation to generation.  A legacy of serving God, sharing in the fellowship of His Kingdom, and passing on the message of His love and salvation to everyone who will listen.  That is what my husband's grandparents did...and that legacy was passed down to us...and we hope it will be the same legacy that will continue in our own children and children's children for generations to come.  

This is how we want to be remembered...and "whin I am throu with this Book", it is our prayer that the message will go on and on and on until Christ comes to take all His children home to heaven.

Excerpts from Psalm 78:

1.  "Give ear, O my people, to my law;

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth...

4.  We will not hide them from their children,

telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,

And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

6.  That the generation to come might know them,

The children who would be born,

that they may arise and declare them to their children,

7.  That they may set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God,

but keep His commandments..."

This is certainly something worth thinking about. Exactly what are we leaving for our children?  Will it be a pile of worthless things that will ultimately go in the trash or to a thrift store because our kids have no use for it? (Yes, that is what often happens to our earthly "treasures"...I've already seen that at my parents' home and also as we clean out my mother in law's home. Our children often don't appreciate our collections of "stuff".)   Or will we leave for them a legacy of truth, love and hope for their future generations? 

Lord, give me the courage to speak truth to my children and grandchildren...

"that they may set their hope in God" 

Amen.

Pearl Sarah Elizabeth Waters Martin
4/4/1897-1/7/1983

Previous post about memories of "Nanny Martin"   

Postscript 5/10/2018:  My hubby's mother, "Vivian", also known as "Nanny Steiner" to our family, is still thriving at the nursing home where she resides. She will be 95 this coming July. We look forward to celebrating Mother's Day with her this weekend. Here's a recent photo of her with her son, my hubby...