First Person Point of View

It was a wondrous time, my eight grade literature class with Kitty Sue Barber. Not only did I get to focus on what I really enjoyed doing - reading, Ms Barber made it so much fun. She tried to get us to look at stories from a multitude of viewpoints. We were exposed to various styles of literature. The scope of the class was wide and we could not read what we wanted to, but we had to read the literature pre-selected.

One memory of mine is that I would open the "literature" book and have my own book open on the inside - reading what I wanted!

I do not remember all the details, but I do recall one particular incident. She had been bragging on a book she was currently reading - a Gothic novel. The suspense was just dripping from her words as she alluded to the details of the book. Just about everyone wanted to read the book. We clamored for her attention to be the next reader!

Ms Barber held the book up and asked who would be interested in doing a book report after they read the book. A few hands dropped. Interest lost. She then asked if the selected person would do the book report from the "first person" perspective. More hands dropped. Mine stayed in the air.

Somehow I was chosen to read the book and do the book report in the "first person." The only problem, the hero of the book was actually the heroine. That's right. The main character was a female - which is the opposite gender of me.

I inhaled the book and finished it in a couple of days. My only problem was to do the report from the heroine's point of view. How could I do that? And do it so that I would get a good grade? Again, I do not remember all the details, but I do remember having to stand before the class and read my book report from the heroine's point of view. A round of applause, a bow, and a good grade as I recall.

Now, growing up with a last name like mine, I have always been teased about being a "girlie..." Over the years I've learned to take it in stride. In fact, I have begun a collection of "Gurley" memorabilia. I have an ash tray from Gurley Hall at a university in Pennsylvania. 25 pound paper flour sacks from one of the Carolina states. Surveying equipment from New York. Pictures of Gurley towns in Alabama and Nebraska. Pictures of Gurley Street in Prescott, AZ. Tokens from various Gurley mercantile stores. And the hope is that I can visit "Gurley" places everywhere I go and record the events for posterity sake.

Regardless of how my name comes across, it is the name of my family heritage. I can share things about who I am from the "first person" point of view.

This makes me to realize something important - God tells the story of history to us from His "first person" point of view. He uses others viewpoints and life events. But everything within the pages of the Bible are what He gives us to use so that we can understand who He is. There is not another book given to us to understand Him better than His Word.

Psalms 119 is a chapter that is devoted to presenting the Word of God from every letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section represents one of the letters. And each section focuses on the Word of God. Verse 11 is my favorite, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee."

When I read His Word, I must read it from His Point of View! Only then can I apply it to my life and understand what His plan is for His creation.