Reach Out Ranch

When I was in junior high, I had a major crush on a boy named Matt ... obviously I loved the name as much as the boy, because Matt is my oldest son's name. I was completely infatuated with the Matt from my youth ... he had eyes so brown they were almost black, and long hair that he always pushed away from his face. He was what my mom would have called "lanky" ... tall and thin, and he kind of sauntered along when he walked. Yep, I had a thing for that boy for sure that lasted into my high school years. It was only natural that when someone invited me to go to a Bible study that Matt attended on a regular basis, I jumped at the chance ... not because I cared even a little bit about studying the Bible, but because I saw it as an opportunity to be near the young man who was the object of my desire.

The place where the Bible study was held was called Reach Out Ranch, and we met in an old barn that the owners of the ranch had cleaned out and fixed up for the specific purpose of having Bible studies there. The study was on Tuesday nights, and several of us took turns driving since the ranch was on the other side of town from where we all lived. There were a couple of different people who alternated teaching the lesson each week, and I couldn't even begin to tell you what we studied. I do remember, though, that the lady who most often led the study had a different approach to studying the Bible than any I had experienced before. She talked about how God's Word needed to be studied word by word and precept upon precept. I remember being fascinated with the way she would tie the stories in the Bible together and show how they all built upon one another ... it was amazing to me the way the whole Bible came alive when she taught, and how it all seemed to fit together ... word by word, precept upon precept.

Sometimes I don't see the forest for the trees ... and that part of my personality was present when I was young as well. Each week I went to that Bible study and had no clue of the powerful teaching I was being exposed to ... you see, Reach Out Ranch went on to become Precept Ministries International, and the lady who taught those Bible studies was Kay Arthur. For those of you who don't know about Precept or who Kay Arthur is ... buzz over to Google and find out ... there's way too much stuff to put in this post. I sat there in that renovated barn for several years listening to one of the greatest Bible scholars and teachers of all time ... and I missed it ... I completely and totally missed it.

As I drove home tonight, I couldn't stop thinking about Reach Out Ranch, and I realized that not only did I miss the significance of attending a Bible study led by Kay Arthur in my youth, I also missed the deep meaning behind the original name of Precept Ministries ... Reach Out Ranch. The Arthurs bought the property in 1970 and began the ministry to reach out ... first to youth, then to adults ... to reach out and share the truths of God's Word in a relevant and life-changing way. I couldn't help but think about the people in my life over the years who reached out to me, who wouldn't let me go, who wanted desperately for me to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And I couldn't help but think about all those who are lonely or wounded or sick or desperate or lost and need someone to reach out to them.

Thank You, Lord, for sending people to reach out to me ... thank You for sowing the seed of Your Word in my heart all those years ago ... thank You for holding me and keeping me and saving me ... thank You, Lord ... thank You.