I Have a Library Card!!

Okay, I have a confession. I have been taking my children to the library for years, and have not ever had a library card of my own. All of this knowledge and I have not partaken of it (can you already imagine where I am going here?). Well hang with me even if you do. Recently, through a friend, I heard of a book called Siddhartha that sounded interesting. Actually she recommended another one called The Alchemist that I really wanted to read. So off I went to the library to check it out. Unfortunately, The Alchemist was out--so I settled for Siddhartha. When I finally located it in the big kids section (remember I am used to locating books in the easy section for my kids--I feel like a genius there!), I was surprised at how thin the book was. I thought 'man this won't peak my interests, but I'll try it anyway.' So I brought it home on Friday. It was finished by Saturday afternoon. I won't lie, there were some sentences that I had to re-read and some words that I had to look up--REMEMBER I am used to simpler texts. But it was a good book that I couldn't put down. Today my children had to return their books. I was RTG (ready to go). I proudly displayed my library card to my boys and they said "WOW! When did you get a card?!" We went in and I had no real method to my madness, I simply decided to go down the aisles until a spine grabbed me. I ended up walking out with FOUR THICK BOOKS! And they were all from the same aisle! I have always loved reading. At age nine I read the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder series in one summer. In 5th grade I had already accumulated over 20 Nancy Drew books. So I own a lot of books--LOVE Frank Peretti. But WOW these I don't have to keep; I can fall in love with them and return them--which I love--it means less mess for me. After all, according to one of my friends, my house is a disaster that reeks of burnt popcorn and has laundry piled everywhere ;-). But I really felt convicted when I was driving home. Because while I read His word I can't say that I always approach it with such unbridled enthusiasm. Some days I feel as if I will never make it to the end of the passage, some days I don't approach it at all, some days my understanding is so small that, like Siddhartha, I have to re-read a verse several times. Which I don't think the Lord faults me for, but I do know that He longs for me to long for His words the way I did my "new" borrowed books. I know He wishes that I would take my time searching through His word the way I did the books on the library shelves. So, while it is already 31 days into the new year I make a New Year's Covenant...I will read at least a chapter a day until I get through His word--even if it takes me MORE than a year. I will savor it and ask God for discernment to process it in my life. And for those of you loved ones reading this--feel free to put my feet to the fire. Please ask me regularly about what I read. Keep me accountable. Because while I love the written word--there is none as Great as His. These authors did not specifically write their novels for me--ELAINE SANTOS--but the Lord did write a book just for me. Father, I want to fall in love with the poetry you have written just for me. Place a hunger in my heart, in my soul that only your word can fill. And give me understanding to be able to apply it to my life daily. I can't wait to read your best seller cover to cover. Amen.