Abbreviated

Wowee Zowee...

I can't believe it's been a month since I've graced the pages of blogosphere.  Life is life.  My life has been partially consumed by working with some amazing young ladies at church to plan an event.  Partially consumed by being sick, a time I'd rather forget after having high fever hallucinations.  Partially consumed by the ongoing issues with my mother-in-law.  All of them could have a post to themselves.

But I would rather share a thought about something that has increasingly weighed on my mind lately.

Abbreviations

My favorite bible verse is Romans 12:9.  However, when I see it written as Rom 12:9, I cringe.  In fact, I cringe any time I see a book of the bible abbreviated.

I know you might be thinking that I am a bit knit-picky and it is a matter of personal preference.  Actually, at the core of this...it is all about respect.

As I learn about how the bible came to be, I am amazed at what it took to produce the book in my hands.  Words said by God; carried down through generations; etched into stones; copied and recopied; debated; translated.  It is breathtaking to think of the trail from God's mouth to my hands. 

Think through that one more time...the words from God's mouth have traveled to you through the very book in your hands.  No other book has ever been printed as often or verified as carefully as the bible.  When you think through that, not only should that cause a moment of awe but ignite a respect deeper than you can explain.

Do you understand why I cringe when I see anything from the bible abbreviated?

I asked a friend once why she thought it was ok to abbreviate the books of the bible.  Her response was because she had seen parents, Sunday school teachers and pastors do it that way for years.  My response to that was...why does that make it ok?

Don't get me wrong, I feel this way across the board.  Anything which deserves respect, I believe deserves the time and energy to be spelled out fully.  I often see friends put comments on facebook about spending time with their "fam" or "hubs."  If you love and respect your family or spouse, I believe they deserve to be called by their respected name.

Whether you are wife, teacher, husband, daughter, son, leader, follower, I firmly believe that your respect of something should be shown in the way you spell it out.  My hope is that family and the bible would mean enough to you that you would pass it on to the generations in a respected way.