The Bible Came

A curious story began about Easter time this year when I received an email out of the blue on Ancestry.com. The email read: 

"Since I do genealogy, a person in my town gave me an old family bible that I believe may be one attached to your family. It is the family bible of Patrick M. Cooney b. Feb 22, 1870 married to Dora Rattterree Cooney b. aug 18, 1879. Do you think this might be yours? I would love to get this back to the rightful family line."

 At first I was very skeptical that perhaps this was someone hoping I would offer up funds in advance to pay for the shipping.  I rented an PO Box just to prevent my privacy and went ahead with the communication, too curious to let the opportunity go.  I checked m PO Box everyday for two weeks and nothing.  I became disheartened that I had been misled.

I decided to contact the lady one more time to ask her if she had sent the Bible.  She apologized that she had been out of the country and would send it right away.  I think it was two days later that it came.  I was excited to carry the heavy envelope out of the Post Office and was tearing at the seal before I got in the car. I pulled it out and paged through it a bit, seeing that there were some names and dates written inside, a gingerbread cake recipe from 1952 and an obituary for a Grand Uncle.  Well I had to hurry to work so I laid the Bible beside me in the seat.  I drove the whole way with my hand resting on what I felt was a magical tome; it was as if I could feel my ancestors coming through the paper.  The smell of the old book filled the car, transporting me in time.  I carried the heavy book into work with me, excited to learn more about the Bible itself and those who owned it. 

According to the woman who sent me the Bible, it was given to her 30 years ago by an American Indian woman.  Interestingly, this woman was the daughter of a man named Greg Whitespear who appeared in dozens of movies during the 1930s playing an American Indian.  How the Bible got to me is no less than a miracle.  I feel the whole series of events was guided by the hand of God. 

There is more to come...as the lady who sent me the Bible has promised to follow up with Native American woman who gave it to her.  This could get really interesting.