On Dec. 31, in the morning, at 10:24, I finished reading my favorite book one more time.

People have sometimes wondered how many times I’ve read this book in my lifetime. I honestly don’t know. I do know that I have tried to read it through once a year for most of the years of my adult life. But I don’t know how often that has been.

There is something I do know. And that is this: No other effort of my life has changed me so intrinsically as This WORD from a holy, loving God. And even though I’ve been warned that there is no force of hidden power or protection or daily assistance in this “habitual reading,” I beg to differ.

People say that days only seem to go better, things only seem to work out for good, life only seems to be smoother because I’ve conditioned myself to believe that.

I beg to differ.

Nothing I can say will change the minds of the scoffers, the skeptics, the dissenters. I can only speak what I have experienced. And that is an incredible grace, given to an ordinary Delaware grammy through the discipline of reading his Word. I don’t do it perfectly. I sometimes don’t think carefully about what I’m reading. Sometimes I prop my head up on my hand on my side of our bed and “get through” — so sleepily I’ve almost fallen out a time or two — or three or four. Sometimes I find myself needing to catch up when the busy days crop up against each other and I find myself behind.

But most of the time, when I sit at the counter in my kitchen and read the timeless words, the age-old principles, the life-giving doctrine, the inspiring poetry, the laments, the praises, the godly instruction and even the reproof, I find important things that help me through the maze that is my life. Through the anxiety, through the sorrow, though the demands of those who depend upon me, through the things I do not understand, through the interruptions, and through the good, good times, this Book tells the story of redemption and life through the Son of God. I’m here to tell you. Jesus makes all the difference.

But these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. — John 20:31

I believe!

MaryAnn Yutzy lives in Milford, Del., where she attends Laws Mennonite Church. She attended Rosedale Bible College in Irwin, Ohio, and blogs at maryannyutzy.wordpress.com where this first appeared.