The Journey Continues: The Family Bible
On the journey last week, Judy received her grandmother’s Bible as promised to her by her Aunt Tommie. Unwrapping the package, we found a well-worn Bible with the name “Dora Edwards” embossed in gold letters on the tattered cover. We added this treasured book to the shelf of Bibles from other deceased family members. Many readers may recall a special family Bible in their home.
As I opened the text, I immediately noticed a great difference between Edward’s Bible and mine. My bible had verses highlighted in colored pen, with paper clips to emphasize passages and scribblings in nearly every margin. Just like in my dad’s bible, hers was pristine without markings or annotations and yet I know both Judy’s grandmother and my dad read their bibles faithfully. They honored God’s word by not marking their bibles.
This 2,000 page “red letter edition, published in 1913 by World Syndicate Publishing Company, New York City, is an edition of the King James containing both the Old Testament and New Testament, it also included a complete Bible library, i.e.: Bible encyclopedia and concordance, condensed Bible commentary, difficult Bible questions and answers and maps.
Families often used the Bible as a depository for important records and the saving of photographs. Neatly recorded in the family register was the birth and marriage dates of three sons and four daughters. Tucked in among the pages were the following items: photo of 17 men with rifles at local rabbit hunt; photo of Pleasant Valley school trustees, including Julius Edwards, four canceled checks on First National Bank Rotan from 1947, a daily Bible reading guide from Oct-Nov-Dec 1941 and an article from Texas Co-Op Power on the beginning of the Midwest Electric Co-Op, naming Julius Edwards on the first board of directors, 1938.
Dora Edwards died when Judy was four years old; but her Christian influence lives on, just as written in Deuteronomy 6:5-7
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.”
