Today is our granddaughter’s birthday; she’s a freshman in college. Like her mom, Annalyn doesn’t remember a time when she couldn’t read. It’s no small wonder.
When Annalyn was two and a half, we took a family trip to Nashville. On the flight home, I thought I overheard Mary, Annalyn’s mom, reading a book to her in the row ahead of us. Annalyn giggled, then wiggled at Knuffle Bunny‘s scary misadventure. Mary was “reading” the book completely from memory. Shades of Fahrenheit 451! Mary had amassed a library of Annalyn’s favorite books in her brain so the atories were always available for her reader in the making.
Annalyn quickly became hooked on hard copy books. In third grade, she was introduced to Harry Potter. In no time, she became addicted, and learned she could memorize lengthy passages. Annalyn discovered that reading books and stories introduced her to incredibly faithful friends, like Hermione and Ron. By easily capturing and storing entire dialogs, Annalyn became adept at inserting the words of her faithful friends into conversations. Her faithful (books) friends astounded her school ones whether the passages were snarky or sweet.
As a teenager, Annalyn began her journey with Jesus. Her love of reading and Jesus began to teach her the power of God’s Word. Annalyn’s new friends (Scriptures) from God’s Word are building an arsenal in her heart. Like her mom’s memorized library, Annalyn is creating her own mental library. She seems comforted by knowing she has access to it whenever she encounters fear, or frustration, or crisis of faith.
Has reading introduced you to faithful friends, a.k.a. books or stories, that continue to resonate deep inside you? Which “friend” do you return to time and again? Which one do you enjoy sharing with others the most?
Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.
Psalm 119:105 ERV
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