The Request to Trade

Three mornings a week, I hold a Bible study for youth ranging from ages 12 to 15. The clothing of the children here is of very poor quality, ragged and worn down, as it has literally been passed down through 5 to 10 siblings. As a “prize” for completing a full Bible study course workbook with me (2 chapters and 2 tests, which takes a student, on average, about 2-3 weeks to complete), the youth get to pick a shirt or pair of shorts from the clothing prize box. For the first time, last week, 3 youth completed a full book (course) and got to go to the prize box and claim their choice of clothing. Their faces lit up and you would have thought, from the way they treasured their prizes, I had just given them a new wardrobe of royalty.

A little after dark, I heard a faint knock at my door; it was *Jose, one of the male youth, 12 years old, who had acquired a pair of shorts from the box that day. Though proud of all the youth, I was especially proud of *Jose because he comes from one of the poorest families in the community and his education and reading levels are well below where they should be; yet with the most persistance and courage, he read aloud during our lessons and stuck it out to complete the first Bible study course. With his shorts under his arm, he shyly said,

“Miss “*J”… I, I, ummm…” (his head dropped), “I was wondering if maybe you would let me trade my shorts?” “Absolutely, *Jose. Would you like a shirt instead? I have red and black,” I said. “Umm… No, no thank you,” he said. And then, as he humbly held out his shorts, the most prized possession that he has probably ever owned in his life, he said, “I’d like to trade my shorts for a Bible. May I please trade these so that I can have a Bible of my own?”

Talk about trying to hold back the tears and pull it together to even get a word out! My eyes swelled with tears, and I said,

“*Jose, you may keep your shorts and the next time I am in the city, I will get you a Bible of your own.”

*Jose was introduced to God and studied the Bible for the first time when he started the youth Bible study course a few weeks ago. Because of his low education level, I really wondered at times if he understood any of what he was reading or hearing… but apparently, he was. He understood enough to know that he wanted his own Bible to continue his studies of our Beloved God, even when we didn’t have class.

In Hebrews 4 we read that God’s Word is “living and active.” God also promises us that His Word will not return void – as clearly proven in the case of *Jose. What an excellent reminder to me of the power of the Living Word – The Bible. I’d like to encourage you to STAND OUT and share the Word of God with someone today, even if it’s just a verse or two. You never know, the Word you share may be even more valuable to that person than their most valued, prized possession. That’s the power of the Word of God!

*Names have been changed in order to honor security regulations.