I spent all day yesterday going from shelf, to other shelf, to other shelf, reorganizing and cleaning out my books! It haunts me to ever move again, as in the back of my mind I know..."Those books are going to be the death of me!" By far, they will be the biggest thing for me to lug to the next local.
But I have no qualms about that. As many conversations as have been had, I still have not gotten a Kindle or a Nook, and am just not sure I can do it. If you sneak in the room at just the right time, you may catch me with my nose stuffed in the middle, smelling the pages. If I had it my way, I would crawl up in there and live out the rest of my days IN a book!
So, this summer I went up North where the market is high for used items: books, clothes and anything thrift! It's hard to find used bookstores in Charlotte. Not much of a market for them it seems. But in Lancaster, PA my sister, mother and I went from shop to shop and looking for the deals we always seem to land. Inevitably they would be ready for the next place and wandering about only to finally find me tarrying in the section with all the books. As usual, I found some classic treasures, and as usual, I couldn't resist the purchase! They would roll their eyes as I walked out with another small stack. As I packed my car to head back to Charlotte, I stuffed every last crevice with another good read!
In light of my purchases, I went on a cleaning frenzy a few days after my return. At the end of it all, I had two high stacks of "get-rid-of-em" books, and it felt so good. Painfully, I weeded out the ones I would never read again, or those simply of no use to me now as I have changed my taste. All Henri Nouwen books need to be on the shelf next to my bed; all counseling books need to be set up on the red bookshelf personally made for me; all my Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Tozer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Andrew Murry, Mother Teresa, C.S. Lewis, Martin Luther, and Brennan Manning need to line up next to each other on the big bookshelf downstairs so that as I walk by I am reminded of my heroes and what Kingdom living is all about! The titles alone still melt me, "The Pursuit of God," "Glimpses of Jesus," "Musings of Heaven," "The Cost of Discipleship..." They lived with one foot always in the eternal, supernatural world. They seemed to look at life with purpose that is lost today in the chapters of narrow, shallow books that are now stacked on the shelves of the Christian Bookstores. On any given day, I could pick up any one of those books and read a page and be left with much musing and inspiration...like opening a treasure for the soul.
So, today I spent some time in the Gospel of Mark. As always, amazed with the authority of Jesus and His manner of speaking with boldness. I wandered by one of my bookshelves and saw this title whispering my name..."The Imitation of Christ," by Thomas a Kempis. Another classic, and I knew, "If I open this book up, I will be more freed by its content than if I left it alone." So here are a few nuggets I read that I will leave with your worn out, weary soul...
"Grant me, O sweet and loving Jesus, to rest in thee above all creatures, above all health and beauty, above all glory and honor, above all power and dignity, above all knowledge and subtilty, above all riches and arts, above all joy and gladness, above all fame and praise, above all sweetness and comfort, above all hope and promise, above all desert and desire: Above all gifts and presents that thou canst give and impart unto us, above all mirth and jubilation that the mind of man can receive and feel...
Because thou, O Lord, my God, art supremely good above all; thou alone art most high, thou alone most powerful, thou alone most full and sufficient, thou alone most sweet and most full of consolation...
Come, oh come; for without thee I shall have no joyful day nor hour; for thou art my joy, and without thee my table is empty...
For there is none like unto thee in all whatever is wonderful in heaven and earth. Thy works are very good, thy judgments true, and by thy providence the universe is governed. Praise therefore, and glory be unto thee, O Wisdom of the Father: let my mouth, my soul, and all creatures together, praise and bless thee."
from chapter 21
Luke 6:45 reads, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."
Be good to your soul and to those around you, read some of the classics...
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