“You know, I've just been sitting here in the same pew for fifty years…” Thelma* declared to me.
The elderly woman was clutching an aluminum cane, her Bible, and a Stranger on the Road to Emmaus book as she shuffled to the front of the classroom after participating in the last session of a GoodSeed TERM Seminar. Despite her stooped posture, everything about her demeanor was proper—silver hair, a light blue dress, pearls and thick glasses. I noticed, though, from the quiver in her voice and the welling moisture in her eyes, that she had more to say.
Thelma continued, “But I want you to know that before this weekend, I had no idea that all those stories in the Old Testament had anything to do with the New Testament. But now, after all these years, the lights have turned on, and I'm reading my Bible for the first time again. What Jesus did was so incredible when you know all the history which led up to it…Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I can't wait to give this book to my grandson!”
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12
Praise the Lord that the light of Christ shone brightly into this woman's understanding in a way that will certainly affect others. From what she shared with me, I think it is safe to say that Thelma's days of “just sitting in her pew” are over.
* Name has been changed
What Next?
- We often hear stories of how peoples' lives are being changed through the use of our materials. If you'd like, here are some of those stories.
- To learn more about TERM Seminars and the possibility of you attending one yourself, see our Seminars Overview page.
- To learn more about the book that helped this woman's understanding of the Bible, check out The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.
