At first glance, one might just discard it as an old, worthless book. Not me. From the moment it was given to me, I have treasured it and hold it very dear.
It signifies where I've come from, physically and spiritually.
It is a book. Not just any ol' book.
It is a Bible. Not just any old Bible.
It is a Bible... in German.
The hand scrawled lettering on the first pages are still perfectly readable.
The inscription contains:
The name of a family member now gone.
A geographical location...Manchester, Oklahoma.
UPDATED to ADD: The house in Manchester where they lived was built on the land secured by my great-grandpa and his dad (my great-great grandpa) during the Great Oklahoma Land Run.
A date... Dec. 25, 1909. A Christmas Gift?
Regardless of the occasion it was obtained, it was apparently considered a great treasure to the recipient, and to the family members through whose hands it has passed... as it has lasted all of these years.
A gift passed down through generations... through the heart and hands of my family. And now to mine. What a great treasure to me.
As I flip through the pages picking out familiar passages, I am reminded that I am holding a piece of my legacy. One rich in the things of God. I am blessed.
May I be so careful and intentional in passing the legacy on to generations to come. Not just the legacy that I hold in my hands, but a legacy of the heart, rich in eternal things and the things of God.
Head over to Sandy's where she is hosting as we all share about ...
Home Is... a family heirloom.
Oh Donnetta. I love it! Very special. You are right, we have very similar stories. Thank you for sharing. How awesome that it is written in German.
ReplyDeleteYes!! I shared some of the same thoughts!!
ReplyDeleteI love our family Bible's too - though I have none so old and unusual as yours - what a treasure! A bit of culture and heritage along with a testimony of faith and belief.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, too!
I found an old bible that belonged to my hubby's grandma and maybe even older than that at my inlaws one year when they were moving. I have it stored somewhere.I think it's in German too.
ReplyDeleteA very special treasure, indeed. Do you display it in your home or do you keep it up somewhere safe? I think it's even more cool that it's in German. I'm visiting from Sandy's party. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I love everyones posts today! Amazing. This is a beautiful post as well. What a treasure, 1909! My Grandma was born in 1899! But the book I featured was her mother's.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up to RE today! xo
What a special family treasure!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure, and a great piece of history too!
ReplyDeleteThe Address in the Bible is Manchester, OK. The house in Manchester where they lived was built on the land secured by your great-grandpa and his dad during the Great Oklahoma Land Run. Just thot you'd like to know 80) Mom
ReplyDeleteHaving the Bible is wonderful....having the legacy is eternal!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful treasure.
ReplyDeleteThe Bible is a true treasure for everyone and having one that is old from a family member is very a very special treasure.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure of the heart! I love that it's in German.
ReplyDeleteWOW! That is aamzing! I love history like that.
ReplyDelete