Packing up to leave Quinipet, I overheard Pastor K. “This belongs to Mary Beth Coudal.”

He handed me a bible. Indeed, inside the bible was my name. I remember receiving this bible when I joined Marble Collegiate Church so long ago.

But I had not brought a bible on this retreat.

It must’ve been left by one of my kids when they went to Quinipet camp more than five years ago.

What to do? I like the Message version of the bible way better than this old NRSV.

Should I see this bible as a gift? Once lost, now found?

Funnily enough, at lunchtime, we had been talking about how many books we had — and how we had too many. I chose to leave that old bible behind.

So I could find it — and be found — sometime again.