October 16, 2005

• I eat books.

  
  

  No, really, I do!  You know how when someone is really hungry, they just plow into their food and eat and eat and eat and before you know it, there’s nothing left on the plate?  That’s what it’s like when I read.  I devour it so fast, I often come to the end of books and wonder what happened.  I love to read!  And life is terribly bleak when I’m not “eating”!

  
  

  Last night, I finished two books.  Let me tell you about them:

  
  

  The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
  “At last they were going in single file along the edge of the precipice and Shasta shuddered to think that he had done the same last night without knowing it.  “But of course,” he thought, “I was quite safe.  That is why the Lion (Aslan) kept on my left.  He was between me and the edge all the time.” 

  
  

  I think this quote pretty much encapsulates the satisfying truth that I was left with when I closed the book last night.  It was an affirming echo of the song that I had posted in yesterday’s post, “All along, You were beside me, even when I couldn’t tell.”  Isn’t that so God?  Always beside us, protecting, guarding, leading, guiding, comforting.  I love that God is so warm and wonderful you just want to nestle up close to him but at the same time can be so powerful and fearsome you must stand in silence and awe.  What an incredible job Lewis does in reminding us of this through The Horse and His Boy.

  
  

  Plus, who can ever get over the dream of all dreams that we all have to *really* and truly be princes or princesses after all, warmly received by the King as if we had never left His heart!   

  
  

  In addition, this from the book made me laugh… “— (girl’s name) had many quarrels (and, I’m afraid, even fights) with — (boy’s name), but they always made it up again:  so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarreling and making up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently.”  haha.  (names omitted so as to not spoil the story for some of you.)

  
  

  Building a Great Marriage by Anne Ortlund
  I like Anne Ortlund.  I guess you could say I’ve read quite a few books on this topic.  This one can be added to the list of recommendations.  She writes in this cute, friendly style – not too hefty or heady, not too theological or pharisaical, just candidly, comfortably and conversationally.  She shares from her life and marriage and you learn some valuable insights and you’re glad you picked up the book. 

  
  

  Here’s an excerpt from the end of the book which made me smile:
  “So what happens when we come together?  You’ll think we’re goofy.  As often as one of us enters our office complex, we’ll first head straight to the other’s office for a kiss.  If we meet at home, we hug.  When we’re dressing I often tell him, ‘I have to have a kiss to give me strength to put on this shoe,’ and he’ll drop everything to oblige.  Sometimes alone in an elevator we’ll fall into each other’s arms until the door opens…In a hotel or airport sometimes we separate, then rush back to each other, pretending we’re old friends who haven’t met for a long time. I mean, it gets pretty sickening, don’t you think?  No two people should get that excited over each other.  Especially after all those years (38 yrs).  I mean, really.  But if true delight in each other appeals to you when you’ve been married a long time, be careful to stay intimate.  In other words, guard each other’s hearts, keeping each as warm and happy and loving as possible.  Cleave.  All your life.”

  • 7:27 pm
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