World Read Aloud Day

“Are you busy?” I asked my friend V on the phone.  

“About to read aloud a story to my grandson,” she replied.

“You’re three months too late,” I joked. 

“What? Why?” 

“The World Read aloud Day happened on the first Wednesday of February,” I said laughing.

“There is a World Read Aloud Day?!” she was incredulous. 

“Every year,” I said in jest, “but not too many people are aware of it. Hahaha! Let me send you my blog on it,” I boasted. 

o o o

It turned out I had not written about it. It was all in my mind.  

So I called her back and said, “Sorry, the joke’s on me. I thought I had already blogged about it, but I-” 

“Totally forgot!” she supplied the missing words. 

“Hahahas” crackled from both ends of the line.  

Those two phone calls once again proved that my friend(s) and I have reached that life stage where “I totally forgot” and “It escaped my mind” are common excuses for mental lapses. 

It’s a few months too late, but let me upload screenshots of that day when I actually read aloud my book "Gone?" for kids virtually. I had more slides than what you see here, but I chose these to stress that beyond all the important benefits of reading, the most vital is: 

Kids who love books will love the Word more—with its many grace stories (awesome, fearsome; uplifting, exciting; glorious, joyous; name it)—because they will discover how God weaves all these narratives to show His great Love for them, for all.  

If you are a grandma like I am, try to read aloud a Bible story to your grandchildren often, even before they can read. 

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NIV)