The Unread, Unreturned Book

A well-loved former pastor, who now leads a flock in the US, visited our church with his wife one Sunday. It was a nostalgic grace day for us who served the Lord with him years ago. His message was so powerful, we shed glittering tears of a grateful heart.

One of our shared memories is this book, as written by son #1. 

Dear Pastor Jerry,

I am returning this book to you after 38 years. I borrowed this around 1988. You called for me in your office, asking me to teach you how to use your new computer. There were scheduling conflicts, and it didn’t work out.

However, this book caught my attention. The title just screamed at me. It probably answered most of my questions. As a 15-year-old, and quite new in the faith, it was just what I was looking for. So I borrowed it, and promised to return it soon.

As a new Christian, I voraciously read the Bible from cover to cover, but it didn’t seem to answer my other questions, and I had a million of them. Is the Rapture happening soon? When is the Lord’s Return? What should I major in college? Will I have a family of my own? What will I do for a living? Will I be rich? I called the 700 Club’s hotline to ask those same questions. There were more: Is there life on other planets? And so on. In short, I was desperate for God’s will for the future, and for the practical aspects of my life. This book had to have the answers.

I was about to finish high school then, and was very busy with life. I wasn’t able to get into it right away. This book sat on our shelves nearly untouched for a long time, forgotten.

Years passed, and you left PVGC, then the country. I said I’d get around to reading this, and return this to you someday, somehow. Life happened. I graduated, got my first job, and moved to another church myself.

I got into the Word deeper, and even went to Bible school for two years. I topped my class, but this isn’t what it’s all about. God was faithful, and revealed Himself, His Will in my everyday mundane choices. Sure, I made mistakes, but it was hard not to see God in everything. Aside from His Word (obviously), God revealed His will through circumstances, godly counsel, open or closed doors, etc. I’ve in turn counseled others in need of advice and direction.

You’ve returned to this country on many occasions, but it wasn’t God’s will yet for me to return this book. Either you were busy, or I was. On the few times we were both free, this book would conveniently disappear.

When I heard you were coming to town again, it took five seconds to locate this book. I’m very embarrassed to say I still haven’t gotten into it after all these years. So I skimmed through it, and not surprisingly, the points were something I already knew and lived through.

Well, here it is now in your hands. I want to thank you, Pastor Jerry. It is still in pristine condition after several home renovations. May this book help out those new in the faith, desperate to know God’s will!

ooo 

I asked Ptr. Jerry if I could keep the book. It was I who had been taking it from the shelf every so often, reading and re-reading it, not knowing the above story.

“It’s yours,” he said.