It languished in a night table drawer, not seeing the light of day for several years. Out of sight; most days it was also far from my mind.

Something about it drew me near and one day I pulled it out and was saddened by the state of disrepair. My husband’s much loved and very well-used Bible was falling apart. It was worse than I remembered. Large sections had become disengaged from the spine, pages creased and the cover tattered. In its present state, it was of little use. However, I knew the value of the book in my hands.

I sought a way to restore it. This was not something I could do on my own but I was certain someone else could. A search led me to a book binder who painstakingly put the Bible back together. Pages were smoothed out individually before being bound in a new cover.

I shed a few tears when I picked it up. Everything that made this Bible so valuable, including the notations and underlines made by Brian as he learned from it, was now in my hands, ready to guide me as it had him. The book is now able share its timeless wisdom with me and eventually to be passed on to future generations.

This is similar to the way the Lord has restored me. My once productive life had fallen apart in chunks. In my broken state, I wondered if I still had anything valuable to offer. There must be more but I couldn’t find it on my own.

I prayed for answers and page by page the Lord bound me back together. He restored my hopes and dreams and gave me renewed purpose. He showed me how my past experiences are an important part of the new creation I’m becoming. The story of my life is still being written. I’m so thankful God worked to restore me.