w.atching the w.orld unw.ind

Yes, I'm one of those gideons! And we've probably met ... or at least you've probably met one or more of us.

I like your blog and your honesty. Nice.

You don't have to call the front desk, though. Just sleep lightly. We sneak in during the middle of the night and check the Bibles to be sure there's one in every room. To date, only 2 of us has ever been caught by a guest. Jim had the hiccups, and Frank ... well, I'll just say that Frank had a few too many bean burritos the night before.

Seriously ... we first started putting the Bibles in hotels (1 each, at the front desk) when traveling was harder (on foot, by horse, or carriage) and carrying anything but the bare necessities was cumbersome to most travelers. They could simply stop at the front desk and borrow the Bible to get some inspiration for the day.

Even with such a limited exposure, we heard from many folks whose lives were changed by reading the Bible. The hotels loved having the Bible in there, both as a service for customers, and because they found that its presence kept many from doing evil things -- which in many cases was very bad for business.

As times changed, so did we, and it became more appropriate to have a copy in good condition in each guest room. God blessed the ministry to the point where churches helped us buy enough Bibles to do this, and supply scriptures for other folks as well.

Today, most hotel chains won't open until they've gotten some of us Gideon volunteers to provide each room with a new Bible.

Which brings us to the "why" -- the hotels see it as a service, as I mentioned. But for us, as you probably have guessed, it's more of a mission.

Back to the changed lives ... we know a little of the power that God has, and how exposing folks to the Bible -- yes we believe it is the Word of God -- can change lives in so many ways ... it's truly incredible. I've met literally hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of folks who can attest to this from every background and every walk of life imaginable. From folks who called themselves fundamentalist "Christians" who really didn't know Jesus -- to atheists -- muslims -- to agnostics -- successful rich business men -- life-long drug addicts -- and even those who really didn't even care ... all whose lives were changed for the better because they got hold of a copy of a Bible, read something God wanted to say to them, and their lives became forever changed.

So while it might just seem to be an interesting or amusing read for you from time to time, we are praying that one day, at the right time, you'll find more than a passing interest in that book by your bedside. You'll find that the God who created everything really does care for you, and has reached out to you through the words of the Bible (and the hands of all of us who work to help get it next to you) to begin a relationship with Him.

Thanks for asking about us ... I hope I've been helpful.