I went through a Bible, one I worked through five years ago. It’s a journaling Bible. In addition to underlines and highlights, the margins are sprinkled with my color-colored notes. Consistent with other journaling Bibles, I determine one color for a-ha insights and personal notes, another color for writing ideas, and yet another for questions to revisit later. And I went through it page by page.

There was a lot to unpack.

My initial goal was to peruse the sections I’d highlighted to pull out some highlights from cover to cover. I was gathering small handwritten cards to place in baskets to give to several people special to me. I know each of them love Scripture and spend time in their Bibles, but I wanted to spend the time praying through the process and trusting God to provide snippets for them to open in his timing. It was a way for me to mirror the encouragement they had poured into me through their examples of faith.

I think perhaps the process was a greater blessing to me than anyone who received my efforts. The unpacking process was affirming, strengthening, and clarifying—just as unpacking often is. When we unpack with attention and humility, the details seem to both prune and fit. No matter the reason I spent hours in Scripture, the result is often the same. When I unpack with attention and humility, the details of the Word and the details of my life both prune and fit.