I am a book lover through and through.
As a child, I had thick bangs and freckles. I remember elementary school, suddenly becoming self-conscious about things that, days before, I didn't know were even issues. Being called out of class for G.T. (lovingly referred to as geek training by classmates). But books were always my escape. My best friend, Mary Lou, and I would read the same books and then act out these scenarios during our play time. We would transplant into a scene full of promise and adventure where we were indispensable and always did what was brave and good. We borrowed scenarios full of discovery from our favorite books and jumped in. The best times were when you forgot yourself for a moment. When you almost believed that you were somewhere else doing something fantastic and divine.
The best books are the ones you try to prolong. You pull yourself away and try to engage in other things- chores, phone conversations, anything to avoid this wonderful story being over. The best books captivate you and make your heart beat wildly with anticipation. One part of you needing resolutoin- your eyes speed up, flying down the page. You exhale slowly and command your mind to stay present, read carefully, because you don't want to miss a single word. The best books teleport you to new places that you can see and feel, places that you know better than ones you see daily. The best books draw you out of your secure dwelling and give hope. They inspire and you find yourself dreaming dreams you hadn't thought to. The best books fill you with sadness when they are finished. Not because of a tragic ending, but because the romance is over, you have said goodbye to friends and places and ideas.
That love of story is in all of us, even if you're not a booklover. My husband loves movies like Gladiator and Braveheart. Its the story that captivates us. I love that Jesus saw that in us- our love of stories. That he told us stories, ones that stir hope in us, that make us yearn for eternity. Stories that make us want to jump in and live right and true lives, full of boldness and faithfulness. His stories don't end bittersweetly, though, for the hope is real and present.
go bookworms.
2 comments:
You come from a long line of bookworms. Your James grandparents loved reading, as did I. How else could I have plowed through War & Peace, Gone with the Wind, and all of Michner's. The great escape! The stories Jesus told make us think and sometimes at different readings, we see a different meaning-HOW UNIQUE!
sorry, but on a shalow note.... can anyone remember reading babysitters club and creating in your mind what each babysitter looked like and what their meeting room looked like and every house they babysat at looked like. i totally can. i think babysitters club books were the first that i fell in love with. as soon as i learned to read, i was reading the series like it was going out of style.
crazy how a simple fictional story about some little girls living life caused me to love reading at such a young age. as a teacher now, i desire to first teach the little ones how to read and then instill in them a LOVE for reading that can transform their lives.
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