Read Anything Good Lately?
Sitting on the deck in the midmorning light, I read the end of the story I had been interested in for the past month or so. It was one of those stories where the main became someone I knew, someone I loved, someone I rooted for. I respected him as I read of his trials and all the struggles he faced , throughout his life, so I hoped for a good ending to his tale. I have to say, I was totally taken off guard when I caught myself crying at the conclusion of the story. I wept to read about his death and the disappointment of a less than perfect ending.
I love to read and I can often get totally wrapped up in these fictional characters and their lives to the point that my own life gets put on hold sometimes. The dishes don’t get washed and dinner is frozen pizza.
So, when my eldest daughter became an avid reader herself, I cozied up close to her and swapped favorite stories. She would read a book and tell me all about the mysteries and intricacies of the main characters lives. I recommended books and read ahead of her so we could share excitement over the plot.
Last week, my daughter yelled from her bedroom, “I’m at the part where Isaac gets married.” I couldn’t remember which book she was reading, so I hollered back, “Which book?”
She popped her head out of the bedroom and looked at me sideways. Didn’t I know what she was reading? The Bible, of course.
I smiled and remembered the tears I had shed over Moses’ death and his disappointment at not entering the promised land after 40 years of leading the Israelites through the desert.
The next night, my daughter and I chatted about the soap opera lifestyles of the Bible characters. The following night we had to have a conversation about how the Bible can sometimes be rated R. And so the conversations have gone lately, with new discoveries for an 11 year old and renewed passion for a 41 year old.
I guess there must be a reason it’s a best seller!
How has the Bible been alive to you lately?
Heather, I too am a reader and I remember falling in love with the bible, discovering that it is indeed full of intrigue and mystery and true love. And the ending, oh the ending! It’s alive to me every time I open it.
The greatest love story ever written, the Bible.
I love this post. I spent hours and hours reading the old testament when I was a teenager. I found just as much romance and suspense between those pages as I did in my favorite fiction books. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed your post Heather! How wonderful for your daughter to be so caught up in reading the Word and for you two to share that love together. God bless you!
Bethany
What a blessing to share such a love for reading with your daughter! Being able to share the excitement of a good story line creates a special bond, especially sharing the Bible.
Reading the Bible reminds me that I am a part of God’s story…that my life fits in between the pages of Genesis and Revelations…that all God’s promises are “Yes” in Christ Jesus, and those promises are lived out in the lives of ordinary people following God with ordinary problematic lives. I’m so glad the characters weren’t perfect because it would be difficult for me to relate to them. Jesus’s perfection is enough.
Like you, I sometimes cry over the turn of events in the story, but I have a hard time putting it down because I’ve fallen in love with the main character. It has the happiest ending of all the books I’ve ever read, and the best part is that it’s true.
Blessings…and happy reading!
Charlotte