In the history of the world, a small group of women have witnessed their husbands do something extraordinary. Some of these wives had husbands who founded nations, walked on the moon, or climbed Mount Everest. Some of these women saw their men win impossible battles, discover world-changing truths, or rescue many lives. In each case, they surely watched the achievement while also intimately knowing the sacrifice, discipline, and dedication required. These women’s personal stories and perspectives are mostly lost to history, but they remain silent witnesses to the extraordinary. Today, although I don’t consider myself on par with any of them, I do stand in their company, as my husband has now accomplished something extraordinary, too. Today, my husband Kelly has completed his 100th reading of the Bible.
The Beginning of the Commitment
When I started dating Kelly in January 1990, he was about six months into this commitment he made at the beginning of our freshman year of college. In August 1989, Kelly pledged to God to read the Bible 10 chapters a day until he read it 100 times. During our three years of dating, I watched this commitment become ingrained in the way Kelly lived his life. I watched how he made time for God’s Word amidst his college studies, work responsibilities, personal life, and ministry. He committed himself to the beginning practices of this rigorous spiritual discipline, setting the precedents for the way he would live the following 34 years.
I remember when, as newlyweds study the Dallas Theological Seminary, Kelly had to write a paper about his spiritual disciplines. He wrote that one of his goals was to read ten Bible chapters a day until he read it 100 times. By this point in his life, Kelly had already been practicing this discipline for about four years, so his paper wasn’t just about a goal but an actual practice in his life. Unfortunately, the teacher’s assistant who graded his paper felt compelled to write in red, “You should choose a goal that is a more attainable.” That TA had no idea the kind of man he was judging and grading. After that crushing comment, for the next 25 years or so, Kelly rarely ever spoke to anyone else about this goal. He didn’t talk about it; he just lived it. For the most part, only I – and, eventually, our children – knew about it and observed it.
The Continued Example of My Husband’s Spiritual Discipline
For the entirety of my relationship with Kelly, I have seen him diligently, daily read God‘s Word. Whether we were on vacation, whether he was sick, whether I was in labor, whether he was inundated with work beyond measure, my husband has been unswerving in his commitment.
He has exemplified that when you make a vow to God, you keep it. When you establish a spiritual discipline, you do it. When you set a course of action, you don’t just want it, you will it. I have been a privileged wife to witness all of this in action in my husband’s life.
Kelly is quick to say he has not been perfect in this goal, and he is very honest about how many days he has missed (see his article Ten Things I Have Learned from Reading the Bible 100 Times ) However, he has lived over 33 years of faithfulness to this discipline, and today he completes this journey.
The Impact of My Husband on My Spiritual Life
As his wife, I am the first to have been impacted by his example. I have read the Bible consistently since I was in elementary school; I have read 3 to 4 chapters a day since middle school. At some point, I even started reading five chapters a day as I grew in my walk with the Lord. All this was really great. However, quite honestly, reading through the Bible once a year and studying along the way was good enough for me. After all, this was way more than the majority of Christians were doing.
However, as I watched my husband’s example year after year, I was convicted by his faithfulness. I saw how he understood the Bible, heard God’s voice through it and was guided by His Word. I wanted to experience that on a deeper level, too. So, one year along the way, I upped my game and began traveling in his footsteps. I started reading ten chapters a day, as well.
Thing is, with this expanded spiritual discipline inspired by Kelly, my understanding of God’s Word exploded. I can’t even explain how going from 5 to 10 chapters a day made such a difference, but it did. Suddenly, I began to connect the dots, see the bigger Story, understand the nuances, and appreciate the caveats more than ever before. As I followed my husband’s leadership, I began to grow deeper in the Word than I ever thought possible. I already loved God’s Word, but I fell even more in love with it. I am certain that I’m able to better do marriage, family and ministry – including Vanguard Church and the Family Disciple Me ministry – because of the impact God’s Word has had in ever greater ways on my life.
I am so, so very grateful for my godly husband leading me to this.
Grateful as the Journey Continues
Reveling in today’s celebration and reflection, I don’t know what tomorrow holds for Kelly as he continues his walk with the Lord. However, right now in this moment, I do know I am a wife who can look at my husband with profound respect and admiration.
And, considering it all, I wonder, why settle for a hill when you can climb a spiritual Mount Everest? Why settle for the clouds when you can shoot for the spiritual moon? Why be content with a self-focused life when you could be the one God uses to lead a nation?
My husband has done this, praise God. In an ordinary life, he has set for me an extraordinary example, and I am so very grateful.
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