At the beginning of 2010 our Stake President challenged us to read the entire Old Testament from cover to cover. Now, for the second time in my life I have read every single begat, every ritual sacrifice, every cubit, every hellfire and brimstone thundering against the boneheaded Israelites who couldn't remember their God from one minute to the next, and every single prophecy. The last time it took me two years to trudge through it. This time I've done it in one. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Old Testament and its stories and teachings. But let's face it; most of the Bible stories the Christian world hears come from a small portion of what's actually in there. Most people would rather get a root canal than read the rest.
I'm thankful for my own stubbornness that drove me to finish the OT. I think about how it parallels my own life. No matter how many boneheaded things I do, no matter how stubborn my will is, or how long it takes me to figure things out, His hands are outstretched still. See Isaiah 5:25. Heck, read the whole chapter. Or the entire book. It's good for you--and not just in a broccoli or soy or cardio sort of way.
Although an arduous task, I am thankful to have surmounted the challenge and gained a deeper appreciation for this ancient book of scripture, a firmer sense of my relationship with God, and a stronger testimony of the Savior and His love for me (and all you other peoples, too).
And now that I've done and gone all churchy on y'all, I'll be thankful if anyone else keeps reading this blog.
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