There is no hiding the fact I like books. It
is impossible for me to imagine my life without books. As far back as I
can remember, there is a book. I fondly remember my Papa reading to me,
he'd do the voices (all different) and I can still feel myself in the
book. There is no telling how many books I've read (or heard read) in my
forty-five years on this earth.
In fact, recently I was doing a calming exercise
and was told to close my eyes and envision "my happy place".
Immediately, I went to the beach, that is what I've always heard is the
go-to "happy place". Meh, not a fan of sand. So, then I
went to a green meadow...mist hovering above tall green grass...oh wait,
there's flying bugs. Bugs are distracting. For a moment I
just...sat. Eyes closed, wondering where the heck my "happy
place" was.
Quickly ditching the beach and meadow, I waited for
the Super Brain to kick in. And oh how it did.
A small room dimly lit by a flickering fire, a
single wall sconce and a banker’s lamp on a large wooden desk. Several overstuffed armchairs strategically
placed, each with a small side table. On
every wall, from floor to ceiling, there were bookshelves filled with books
neatly arranged.
Along with this vision were feelings of warmth,
safety, calmness, and an overwhelming sense of peace.
When I was called back to reality, I found myself
not wanting to leave. “Can’t I just stay
for a moment longer?”
Science Fiction and Fantasy are my genre of choice,
but I will, and have, read all sorts of books.
Finance is probably my least favorite, but I’ve suffered through a
few. I read no less than five books
while I was pregnant the first time, and at least one or two in the later
pregnancies. Of course, then there are
the baby books, the toddler books, the adolescent books, the teen books (which
are pointless unless the actual TEEN is reading them). Books about history, picture books, and
countless children’s books have lined my shelves. Mystery, romance (blah), biographies,
autobiographies, books about racehorses, and books about cats that are clans
and live in a world that is actually just beyond your backyard. I’ve read stories about the first human
clans, Irish folklore, the spice trade, if the movie has a book, I’ve read the
book (either before or after, doesn’t matter to me).
*Side note:
One of my favorite movies is Last of the Mohicans; never ever read the
book. Trust me. It NEVER ties into the movie even remotely,
and it’s terribly hard to read.
Poe, Hemmingway, Michener, Shakespeare, Wilder, and
even Chaucer (just to say I did…) are some of the more notable authors that
have graced my imagination with there beautiful gifts. There are countless others I find equally
fascinating and wonder why everyone doesn’t just love them as much as I do!
My second favorite genre is Self-Help, Learn To,
Do-it-Yourself. Learning is probably my
second favorite pastime; though I wasn’t fond of school, go figure. I have taught myself to knit and crochet,
draw (well, sort of); I found the New Me in sixty days, even though it was only
supposed to take twenty-one. The 30-Days
to a Clean House is gather dust…literally.
I’ve also learned to live with ADD, actually thrive with ADD.
For the last year and a half or more, my interest in
books has pointed inwardly. It has been
less for entertainment, and more for understanding both others and myself. It has been a wonderful journey, to say the
very least.
Most of the books I am reading now have an
accompanying spiral notebook that follows them around. When I first began this journey of
exploration, I needed a “hook”. I like
writing, even if it’s notes. In learning
how to harness the Super Brain, I found it needs something it likes to do to
make doing what it doesn’t like to do more doable. Writing also helps me
remember what I’ve read, could have used that little gem back in school…
Today, as I’m scrolling FaceBook, giving my hand a
wrest after my morning time with God, I came across a post from a friend. “Five Lies of” something? I now forget.
Oh, I want to know the five lies!!
~click~ Was an interesting read,
I could see some points. However, when I
got to the end, you know, where I’m supposed to find the truth, I was left
feeling a little misled.
Admittedly it was a bit annoying that this
“article” was really an ad. I could find the “truth” for $10! Great price for this guy to tell me the
truth! This of course made me laugh, and
feel duped. “Dude, I know the answers,
and you ain’t the one that can give them to me and solve my problems!” is
exactly what I said, out loud, to my screen.
Yes, I have read several books in the last year and
a half. I’ve written notes on hundreds
of pages and gone through no less that twenty pens (the new vamped erasable pen
is my FAV!!) all searching for the truth.
And I’m finding it!!
However, the truth isn’t coming from the book, or
it’s author. See, my books, all
of them, are Bible based. I know exactly
where the truth comes from. I know the best author that gives the most
sage, sound, and proven-to-work advice.
And the most awesome part is that He already paid the price for me.
The whole $10 truth thing this morning made me realize something: this is the first time I’ve read self-help
books and have actually seen the
change in me! ~Insert light bulb here~
Why is that, you ask? I will gladly tell
you! For free even!!
The truth about me, the truth about how I can overcome adversity, the
truth about how to deal with conflict, the truth about taking care of myself,
of loving myself, of accepting myself – there’s not a person on this planet
that can give me that truth. They don’t
have that truth. My truth, my help,
comes from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
God bless every author that has used his or her gifts from Him to help
guide me to Him. God bless them for
doing the research, finding the Scripture, applying the Word to their own lives
and sharing their testimony with me. To
God is the glory!
Self-help, 5-Ways to Fix XYZ, The Secret of…sure, these are all great
things! Read as many as you like,
matter-o-fact, please read them!! Life,
living, parenting, friendships, loving, marriage, divorce, serving, these are
all complicated things!! To think, “meh,
I don’t need help, I’m good” is shortsighted.
Never settle! Never stop striving
to be better, to do better, to help better, to love better. If you look at your life and there is a void,
I bet there’s a book that can shed some light on your situation! But know this, if you don’t have God sitting
with you while you are reading, that void will remain no matter how many times
you read the words.
God wants us to help ourselves in unity
with Him! If He is not first whom you
seek, you will always be thirsty and hungry, tired and lonely, searching and
not finding. There is no person on earth
that can make you whole.
John 6:63
“The Spirit
gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.
The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life.
No comments:
Post a Comment