Saturday Toy

Saturday Toy
My mom’s cousin, A.J., is an only child. As he was growing up, his doting father, in the midst of his weekend errands, would occasionally buy A.J. a gift. Not for any specific reason, like a birthday or Christmas, but just because he loved his son and wanted to demonstrate this love with a physical symbol. This practice happened with such frequency that, on the occasion in which A.J.’s father returned from town empty handed one weekend, little A.J. asked, “Where is my Saturday toy?” The phrase was quickly adopted by my family, and used to indicate a little (or not so little) something you buy for someone just because you love them.
I think of this story now and again; how so many of us never quite outgrow the “What have you done for me lately?” mentality of our childhood. This especially seems to pertain to our relationship with God. Too often we focus on what we’re lacking rather than our blessings. Our prayer life becomes God’s to-do list, and we’re all too eager to dismiss him when we don’t get our way. Conversely, we can get so caught up in the what-can-I-do-for-God mentality (which so often leads directly into I-can-never-do-enough) that we feel defeated even before we start. It seems to me that, just as the best way to know a person is to spend time with them, the best way to know God is to spend time with Him. And the best way to know God is to study His word.
I’m both amused and saddened by people who are intimidated by the Bible. They’ll say that it’s too difficult to understand, that it’s outdated and irrelevant in today’s world. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible is, in fact, populated with deeply flawed – and thus relatable – characters, with many of the same issues and struggles we face in modern times. In my personal experience, I’m continuously amazed at the number of times I hear a sermon, read a passage, or listen to a lesson that pertains directly to a problem I’m experiencing at that very moment. The scriptures even have a phrase for this phenomenon– a word in due season. The Bible not only reinforces my belief that the word of God applies to our contemporary lives (maybe now more than ever!) but also that it was written and handed down for us as the the ultimate instruction book of life. My friend’s young son recently recounted how the holy book was described for him -- “Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.”
Kirk Franklin’s song, “Looking for You” refers to the Bible as a love letter. In even the most rudimentary glance, we learn that the apostle John refers to Christ Himself as The Word. Therefore, I like to think of the Bible as God incarnate; centuries of holy wisdom passed on to each generation, not just for God’s own glorification but for our edification, our encouragement, our discipline. It is a life map of sorts, with which to chart our journey and refer to when we are lost, given to us not because we deserve it, but just because God loves us. Our Saturday toy from our heavenly Father.