Be Our Guest / Joanie Nobbe

The Bible is a great tool to help us transform our lives of faith

I woke up this morning like I do every work day. The alarm goes off, and I hit the snooze button repeatedly until I know I can’t possibly lie in bed any longer and still get to work on time.

I have never been a morning person, but I have been waking up happy. I feel that it is the renewed faith given by the Easter season.

Easter is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. For me, Easter is about rebirth.

In the spring of the year, Indiana comes to life with the colors of flowers and the trees blooming. That is a visual example of rebirth for me.

When I was young, I attended Catholic school and went to Mass, but I never really could comprehend the sacrifice that Jesus made for me.

How could a man that I never met give his life so that I can be saved? It was not until my early 20s when I attended a retreat, and it hit me like a lightning bolt. My eyes were opened to all that I didn’t know, and my thirst to learn was unquenchable.

I owned a Bible, but had never opened it to read it. So that is where I started. I began a personal Bible study with no direction so I started at page 1. I quickly got bored and became discouraged.

Then I decided to find a new starting point so I went to the New Testament. I grew so much in my spirituality that year.

Lent is a time for personal growth and, even though that time has drawn to a close, it doesn’t mean that we can’t continue on our faith journey. I know we are all busy from day to day with our normal everyday lives, but if Jesus can sacrifice his life for us, couldn’t we give back a half hour a day?

Now for my next excuse. We don’t have a Bible study program at my parish. If we could get a few people interested and approach our pastor about our interest, maybe we could. A lot of us take our children to CCD every week. Maybe we could have a program that coincides with that.

Imagine the example we would set for our children by going to CCD as a family.

If that isn’t an option, then how about creating a small group that meets once a week? We all have a group of friends that we spend time with. The next time you are together, bring up the topic. You may be surprised that they are interested, too. Remember that your pastor is a great resource for direction on a Bible study program.

The Bible is a great tool to help us cope with everyday life. Through parables and examples, Jesus teaches us how we must live. He dealt with troubles just like we do today. Jesus is the perfect example of what Christian life should be like.

If we devote more time to studying the word, then our lives will change. We will bloom into the person that God wants us to be.

(Joanie Nobbe is a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Enochsburg.) †