It Revived Our Family Spiritually
Last September a 28-year-old woman explained in a letter how the recent publication “My Book of Bible Stories” had been responsible for the spiritual revival of most of her family. She wrote:
“In 1963 my family learned the truth about Jehovah’s kingdom from two Witnesses in the house-to-house work. Within three years, all seven of us—my father and mother and we five children—dedicated our lives to God and were baptized.
“However, around 1970 all the members of my family quit attending Christian meetings—all, that is, except me. This caused me severe heartache, since I could not understand why they had quit. No one would tell me. They just said they didn’t want to go anymore. I asked them if they still felt this was the truth, and they said, ‘Yes, it most certainly is.’
“Well, this upset me even more because I just couldn’t understand how they could believe it was the truth and yet not do anything about serving Jehovah. In 1973 my dad twice had open-heart surgery, and yet refused taking blood because of what God’s law says. (Lev. 17:12-14; Acts 15:28, 29) Also, my mother had operations on her spine and refused blood for the same reason. Yet they still refused to associate with the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses anymore.
“In 1975 I became ill. Several doctors told me I would live for only two years at the most. Thankfully I have lived longer. Shortly before I became ill my oldest brother married a devout member of the Church of Christ. My brother tried to witness to her about the Bible teachings that he still believed but had been doing nothing about. She would absolutely refuse to hear anything about these things.
“In 1978 I had the wonderful privilege of attending the Victorious Faith convention in New Orleans. With the help of two loving Witnesses I managed to go despite my condition. I was the only one in my family who went. I was so happy I felt like shouting; my heart seemed ready to burst with appreciation. I felt Jehovah’s spirit there so strongly.
“When ‘My Book of Bible Stories’ was released a brother asked if he could get mine for me since I was handicapped. I said, ‘yes.’ So off he went to get 12 books, one for each member of my family, including my nieces and nephews.
“I didn’t know whether or not my family would appreciate my giving them one. So I told them that the books were a gift of love. My sister-in-law who belonged to the Church of Christ said that she didn’t mind her daughter having a copy. My little niece Aubre is three years old and can already read some.
“One day Aubre asked her mother if she could read to her. Her mother said that she could, so little Aubre went to get her ‘Bible Stories’ book and started reading. After a while my sister-in-law found she was listening to her little daughter with real interest. After she put Aubre to bed, she sat down and read the book through.
“That night when my brother came home from work, she told him that everything she had read in the book was true. ‘It’s so simple,’ she said, ‘I don’t know how I could have been so blind not to have seen it.’ My brother said that he had tried to explain these things to her before. She said that it took a three-year-old with a book about the Bible to make her see how everything fit, because Jehovah God really had a purpose for the earth.
“A year later now, five of the original seven members of my family are again serving Jehovah wholeheartedly, but counting nieces and nephews the number is 11. I thank Jehovah for giving me the strength to endure and make the assembly, and for the timely release of a wonderful book. Now when I fall asleep in death my heart will rejoice in the hope of seeing my family in the resurrection. Oh, what a joy the ‘Bible Stories’ book has proved to be!”