52 Weeks, 52 Changes: Just Eight Minutes a Day

Ok, if you know me, life is one big devotional opportunity.
It can be annoying, ask my children or my husband. They will concur.
But, last week, amid preparations for speaking at a dear friend’s funeral (stay tuned),
I took one of my long prayer walks.
Oh how I love to walk and talk (watch it…be nice!) to God.

There it was. Right in the middle of the road.
A figure-8 shaped out of “gum?” I think it was gum.
Who on earth does that? Well, don’t judge me, I believe God did.
Yes, God and I have a very
unique way of talking to one another.
You see, I’ve been struggling lately.
Maybe you can relate. According to The Barna Research Group, I am not alone.
In their 2011 State of the Church Address,
“Bible reading has plummeted by 10 percentage points,
declining from half of all women reading the Bible during a typical week
(excluding that done during church events)
to just four out of ten doing so today (40%).”

Stunned by this alarming statistic, I started examining my own personal Bible Study.
Not Bible Study in order to prepare for my next teaching engagement
or speaking event. Not Bible Study for a book project.
No, Bible Study for me.
Somewhere in my crazy little life, I had lost my daily reading practice.

So, when this little “figure-8” sign-from-God popped out of nowhere,
I heard that ever familiar little whisper,
“Janell, can you give me 8 minutes of your morning?”

A few steps later, “Wham!” There it was.
The second (read Matthew 18:16) sign from my God.

I promise you! I can’t make these things up.
I stood there and laughed.
Okay, eight minutes of my morning, God, you got it!

So, now, I have put one Bible on my bedside table
and one in my office, next to my cozy new loveseat.
It has made all the difference. I’m reading through John, again,
with highlighter and journal right next to me, because
it is jam packed with fresh words for my life.
I’ll share them soon.

How is your daily Bible reading going?
Are you like me (the 60%) or the 40%?
I’ve been both and know for a fact that
daily Bible reading is the absolute key to my life.