A Sword for Dragon Slaying

“What are you reading?” I asked my little ‘protégé’ as she sat next to me in church one morning. The book she was holding was covered with fanciful dragons and other mythical-looking creatures. She held it up to me and smiled, but I couldn’t get a good look at it until she went to the restroom and I glanced through it. It seemed to be a Harry Potter-type book for young people. She said yes, it was, to my question when she sat down.

I’m glad she loves to read; she is particularly bright and knowledgeable for a 12 year old. (The other night at church when a man played the guitar and a harmonica simultaneously, she quipped, “He’s multi-tasking!”) I whispered the Bible verse, Philippians 4:8, to her that says we are to think on good things that are true. She wrinkled her nose at me, but continued flipping through the book.

Later, I was struck with the thought that I should give her some good reading material. My favorite classics I have were too old or too young for her, but I did look around the book section of Walmart. Nothing suited, and I considered a Bible, since she usually reaches for one of the standard Bibles that is kept beneath the church seats for those who might need one.

At the Christian bookstore, the Bibles were either too expensive or the print was too small. Then my eyes settled on the devotionals. I picked up a one-minute devotional for girls with a bright, whimsical cover that was small enough to put in a purse. The catchy, energetic writing with scripture passages and spiritual applications seemed just right for her age. I gave it to her Sunday just as the kids were being dismissed from their classes, and she couldn’t have been more pleased.

Then during a moment in the morning service their Sunday School teacher spoke from the pulpit that she had a special presentation to make, calling up a half dozen young people, including “Brittany”. “These kids have been so faithful in their church attendance, some not having missed a service since they first started a few months ago, and some that come even without their parents,” she explained. “And when someone came up to me and said they wanted to anonymously do something for the youth, we decided on this.” She then presented each one with a handsome, compact Bible with large print!

Thank You, God, for your perfect provision! I could see how perfect it was when Brittany kept pulling the Bible out from its packaging during the service, stroking it, feeling the smoothness of its pages as she rubbed them against her arm, and clasping it against her chest, eyes closed and smiling as she turned her face heavenward. May that always be her focus, and the Bible a compass to guide her in the right direction, even as people come alongside when her course needs correction.