A King James Virgin For Father's Day

Christie was our second child, and while my husband Jim loved our son and daughter equally, it was his daughter that had him wrapped around her little finger--practically from the moment she was born.

When my daughter was in the fourth grade, her Sunday School teacher announced that the class would be having a contest and the winners would receive a Bible with their name on the cover. All they had to do was memorize the books of the Bible and be able to recite them in order and without coaching. Christie took the contest to heart and much to my surprise, was determined to win one of those Bibles.

The contest would be six months long. Thus giving each contestant time to recite the books already memorized and to let the teacher know which child was actively participating. Christie and her dad worked each week on memorization, building her knowledge bit by bit. And while many in the class had undertaken the challenge, in the end, only a few could recite every book without faltering. Christie was one of them.

Then came the day the contest ended and the teacher asked the six winners whether they wanted a black, red, or blue Bible. Christie ordered the blue one because that was her father's favorite color. I wouldn't have known any of this had my daughter's teacher not sought me out after church, purposely wanting me to tell me what had transpired in class that day.

Seems that Christie insisted her dad's name should be on the Bible and when the teacher tried talking her out of it because she had worked so hard to win it, my daughter told the teacher that during their months of practicing together, Jim had happened to mention that of all the translations he had, he didn't have a King James Version--which Christie misinterpreted as King James Virgin. Understandable,  considering kids are taught from the beginning of Sunday School that Jesus was born of a virgin.

When the Bibles arrived at church with names imprinted, Christie brought home the gaudy blue Bible with my husband's name printed in gold. She hid it under her bed (along with everything else in her room she didn't wish to put away) and waited a couple of weeks to surprise him with it. The Bible was to be Jim's Father's Day gift--not something I'd purchased, but something just from her.

In all my years as a parent, I've never seen a child present a gift with such joy as my daughter exhibited that day. Nor the surprise on my husband's face as he unwrapped it and saw what it was. He grabbed our daughter and hugged her so hard I thought she might break--little thing that she was. Then she climbed into her dad's lap and said, "Well, daddy, now you have a King James Virgin. I bet you're happy, huh?"

Because both Jim and I were Sunday School teachers for 30  years or more, our Bibles were well-used. Jim's King James Virgin was his favorite. Can't you tell?

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them." Psalm 127: 3-5

Copyright 2011 by Sandra L Keith, All rights reserved
Photos are the property of the author and may not be reproduced