Des Moines Bible Institute

On my 13th birthday I received a package. Of course I was very excited – it could only mean one thing: a birthday gift!

I quickly opened it and discovered it was from my Aunt Lavon, my Dad’s sister.

She had sent me a Bible. Not what I was expecting, but I loved my Aunt and was interested to thumb through it.

A little about my Aunt first – she was a deeply committed Christian who exuded the joy of the Lord. She was funny and always had a good word to say to me. I loved going to her and Uncle Bill’s home on holidays and vacations. We always had a lot of fun and we always went to church.

She was very evangelistic.

Instead of letters she would record cassette tapes and send to our family. I remember one such tape where she shared the recent activities of our cousins, what was going on at work, etc. She then told how they had went to church the Sunday before and took a new friend with them. She shared how she was praying they would understand the Gospel and be saved (a new term for me).

She then said she had heard a new song which she loved and she sang it for us (if I remember correctly, she wasn’t a great singer.) The song was “Rushing Wind,” by Keith Green.

As a kid, I thought it was neat that she sent these tapes to us and that she reached out to me so often. I was not a Christian at that point, although we went to church regularly. I was never turned off by her discussing the Lord and taking us to church.

Back to this Bible…

I opened it up and she had written this message and sayings in the front:

“Shawn Barr, may you find that peace for your life that only is found in Jesus Christ. The following I am sharing with you from my Bible – sayings I’ve written in my Bible over the years. May He bless your life in every way. You are loved. All my love, Aunt Lavon.

• I have to stand for something, or I’ll fall for anything.
• Christians shouldn’t be satisfied to die on 3rd base when they could go onto HOME with the winning run.
• Responsibility – the response is to come from us, and the ability will come from Him.
• I would rather burn out for Jesus than rust out for Him.
• History = His Story
• Money is an instrument that can buy you everything but happiness and pay your fare to every place but Heaven.
• Love is something you DO!
• If justice was an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we’d all be blind and toothless!

“Shawn Barr – You are Loved! My commitment of love to you: to pray for you everyday the rest of my life.” Aunt Lavon

Not long after this I was exposed to the Gospel in a very clear fashion and was saved. Several years later I was called to the ministry and have now been a pastor for 28 years.

My Aunt’s commitment ended in 2004 when she died tragically.

I will never forget her love and laughter. And, I’m forever grateful she reached out to me as a teenager and had a part in sharing Christ with me.

My question for you today – who do you need to tell that God loves them and you love them? Buy a Bible for them, write a heartfelt message in the front, and send it to them. You never know how the Lord will use it.

Thanks Aunt Lavon – I love you back with all my heart.