I had just moved back to Texas after having been away for 16 years. The first of my two sons had just gotten married and my youngest had just started college in WYOMING! My husband’s new job, the reason for our move, required him to travel a great deal. My friends, family, and walking buddies were all a bazillion miles away. I was so lonely that I was pretty sure that I was even beginning to look like a basset hound. So when my ‘one and only’ Texas friend invited me on a Christian women’s retreat, I jumped at the chance! She almost lost me however, when she said it was with her Bible Memory Women’s group (BMWs) with Janet Pope as the speaker. I explained to her that this probably wasn’t going to be for me after all because I was convinced that I had a Bible memory impairment. If I could remember the verse, I couldn’t remember where it was located and vice versa. I was just a lost cause in this department. She encouraged me to go anyway so, reluctantly, I packed and joined the crew.
Desperate as I was for friends, I’m sure my body language screamed ‘NOT INTERESTED AT ALL!!’ because that was what my brain was saying the first night, as well as: ‘remember how many times you’ve failed at this memory stuff!’ That all changed the next day when ordinary women started reciting extraordinarily long passages of scripture with the love and passion of first century believers. I knew I wanted what they had! I was also amazed and humbled as each person explained how she too was hesitant at first to tackle a whole book of the Bible. Their general approach was to first seek God’s guidance regarding the passage to learn and then to trust Him to enable them to learn it. Memorizing wasn’t about them at all!
Consequently, I was hooked and before the weekend was over, I had, by God’s grace, memorized a portion of a psalm. Before the following week was over, I had memorized the whole chapter! The love for the Word I’d seen in those women was contagious. I soon discovered that when you feast and meditate on a passage long enough to memorize it, you begin to love both the Word and the Savior more and more.
I also began to notice that I had a lot more time in my day to memorize than I had initially realized. I now spend less time worrying than I used to, for example. Going over a psalm or the chapters I’m learning in John is a much better way to spend my time. I now find myself on the lookout for times to memorize. Is it any wonder God honors such effort and blesses our socks off when we make it??
The very best part for me about memorizing the Word, however, is that I’m no longer that lonely basset hound. My relationship with Jesus has gotten much closer. Soaking up scripture has reminded me that I serve a living Savior, which means I’m never alone!
Hi Patta! Great to see your face again and hear your story! I just can’t stop smiling!
Beautiful testimony Patta! How blessed I am to know you and to be encouraged by you! When I listen to you recite from the gospel of John, your love for The Lord Jesus and His Word is soooo obvious inspiring the hearers ! AMEN, God doesn’t ask us to do anything from His Word that HE doesn’t enable us to do by the Holy Spirit, glory to God! “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Phil 2:13
Love ya and privileged to journey with you Patta in coming into a deeper knowledge and love for The Lord Jesus! Sister Chris
Patta, I love your story! I’m experiencing an empty nest since my youngest married last Fall and I’ve found that nothing defeats the loneliness like spending time meditating on God’s Word. Also I enjoyed your statement about those ordinary women reciting scripture “with the love and passion of the first century believers.” I believe this is what memorizing scripture instills; a love and passion for Christ, it truly is all about Him.
Think you for the encouragement!
Patta, what an encouragement you are to us all. Reading, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture is all about sitting at the Master’s feet and learning from Him and learning more about Him. You are so good at reminding us all that our joy and blessings are in our relationship with Jesus and the time we spend with Him. So many times in my day when I am lonely or discouraged, I review my verses in my head and remember that because the “Lord is my Shepherd, there is NOTHING I shall want.” Psalm 23 Thanks dear sister for going to that retreat!
Patta, I was so excited when I saw that the story today was from Patta from Texas! Thank you for sharing your story–it reminds me all over again, why we memorize–in order to know and love Jesus more. I am grateful to know you (so glad you came to the retreat). It is such a blessing and encouragement to hear you quote the chapters you are learning from the Gospel of John. May the word of Christ continue to dwell richly in you!
This is the kind of story that makes me wanna “flap-clap-jump”. A phrase we coined when our oldest son was three years old. When he would get super-excited, he would jump up and down, flap his arms and clap his hands. We have him on video meeting Tigger at Disneyland. (Excitement beyond measure?) Of course, he flap-clap-jumped, and Tigger; being the most awesome Winnie the Pooh character that he is, looked down at our son—and copied him….
One of those priceless moments in time you never forget.
Anyway, I love,love,love when a sibling in Christ learns they were dead-wrong. They can memorize! We don’t realize how many daily mindless activities we do until we are excited to fill them with something. Could there be a better something? No stinking way.
🙂
Thanks for sharing your story! So happy for you.
Patta, your story is so inspiring. We never know when God is going to put us in positions to be changed for the better. But he surely does because he wants us to grow in our love for him. You were meant to attend that retreat and be inspired what what you experienced there. Now that you have applied what you have learned, you, in turn, are inspiring to others. Someone will hear your story and begin to memorize books and passages growing closer to Jesus like you. Then they will share their story and on it goes. I love the way God works in and through us to draw us to himself. Thank you very much for being a part of this little community and letting us see who you are.