“Betty could have gifted her grandson anything, even gold, but she chose to invest in his life in such a precious way,” Father George Thachil, Holy Family Church, Vazhakulam. Betty George set a series of small goals for herself, and then chose to set a monumental goal that required her to give her everything!
During the months when Covid-19 was at its peak, Betty and her husband, George P J struggled to keep themselves occupied and content. They missed their children and grandchildren. Residing in the heart of Kerala, they were used to being surrounded by family and big gatherings. Betty loved this! The new normal hit her hard. She tried to fight the debilitating loneliness of being isolated with hobbies like embroidery and gardening. Betty and her husband invested their time and energy into growing flowering plants. Even though their home looked beautiful and lush, she still felt unfulfilled.
As a family, Betty and her husband spend quality time with God every evening – praying and meditating on His word. One evening as they were reading scriptures together, Philippians 4:13 stood out for her. The reminder that she can do all things through God’s strength encouraged her to set a goal for herself – she was determined to read the entire Bible in six months. Over the next months, Betty invested all her time in reading and understanding God’s word. She drew strength from Philippians 4:13 and was able to achieve the goal she had set for herself.
Betty started to feel a pull towards another goal – a much bigger one this time! She decided to write the entire Bible in Malayalam by hand! At an age when most people prefer to relax with a cup of tea and the newspaper, Betty was determined to sit and write for long hours! “It had been a long time since I had written anything meaningful and deep,” said Betty recalling the motivating she felt at the start of this goal. She faced a number of challenges during this incredible time, but Romans 8:28 reminded her that God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. Betty and her husband worked hard to make the handwritten Bible look neat – drawing lines to ensure the text is aligned well, and binding it securely in a hardbound cover.
Once Betty achieved her goal of writing the Bible in a year, she felt her relationship with God had strengthened. She felt God tell her to gift this hand-written Bible to her grandson. Betty presented her unique gift to her grandson in the presence of Father George Thachil, in church.
Betty firmly believes that age is no limitation to setting and achieving goals as long as one prays about it and seeks God for it. The motivation of achieving such a tremendous goal, has encouraged her to write the Bible in English now. She feels energized and is determined to overcome any limitations that may hinder her.
