Meet Me in the Library

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I attended a Bible study sponsored by Young Life. Well, it was actually when I was in high school in New Orleans. Each week, 6-8 of us girls would sit in a circle on the floor in Miss Jackie’s living room, discussing Scripture. I remember even then knowing how much Miss Jackie wanted us to know the Lord, and can still hear her soft, southern voice sharing the Word. But it’s just a sense of it. I don’t remember the specifics. Except for one story she read to us. That I remember as clearly as if she’d read it to me yesterday. It went like this:

I was a kid much like many other kids, trying to ‘find myself,’ pushing the limits set by my parents and society, lost, frustrated, angry. But then, one day, I met Jesus! He changed everything! He saw me for who I was and for who I could be. I happily asked Him to be my Lord and He gladly said yes! He helped me clean up the “rooms” of my life – the living room that I showed the world, the closets where I kept things I wanted hidden, the dining room where I would overindulge, the kitchen where I would cook up trouble…. I remember showing Him the library. As He looked over the shelves, I blushed at the books. “Lord, I’m sorry! I can see that I’ve been filling my mind with all the wrong things! Help me?”

He smiled at me gently. “Yes, there’s work to be done here, but this is a wonderful room. Would you like to meet here daily and we can read, talk, and replace these books?”

Oh! My Lord was willing to meet with me EVERY day! I couldn’t believe it! “Yes! That would be wonderful!”

“It’s a deal then! I’ll be here every morning at six.”

And He was! How I looked forward to that time together! We would pour over His Word, talk about it, look for ways to apply it in my life. These were the best of times and I treasured them. But then I went off to college, and with late-night test cramming and last-minute papers, I was sooo tired in the morning. Every now and then I would skip our time together, but I wasn’t worried, because I knew I’d get right back into it after I graduated. But then I got a job. Got married. Had children. And, well, you know the rest. Pretty soon I wasn’t meeting with Him at all. I felt bad about it when I thought about it, but that became less often and, gee, He’d understand. I was busy!

Years went by. Decades actually. And then, one morning, as I walked past the library, I glanced in, and there was Jesus! I was shocked! “Lord, what are you doing here?”

“I said I’d meet with you at six, and so I’m here. I’ve been here every morning, waiting for you.”

No condemnation. Just a fact. Jesus, my Lord, King of the Universe, had kept His promise and waited in the library for me every morning for years while I just went about my life. Tears filled my eyes as my head hung low. I was too ashamed to step into that library. And then He said my name. After all these years, He still knew my name, my heart, my secrets, and He still loved me! I ran to Him and fell into His embrace. Through my tears, I apologized, confessed my selfishness, my conceit. He forgave me. Again.

And then, together, we opened His Word.

That simple story has stuck with me. When I first read it, I thought, “That will be never be me!” Oh, the vanity of youth! The truth is, that IS me. Time and again, I get “too busy” to spend time with Jesus, studying His Word, just Him and me. And time and again, I stumble back into that library, finding Him patiently waiting for me to rediscover the joy of quiet time with Him.

No matter how long it has been, now is the time to start anew. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, pick up your Bible, and walk into the library. The Lord is waiting for you!

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

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