Birthday Contest
First, I must apologize to all who took the “How well do you know LJ” contest at my 75th birthday party.
If you answered “The Bible” as my favorite book, well, yes, you were right.
However, I have an explanation for the answer I actually gave. It’s a good one. Really!
The Bible
I honestly don’t think of the Bible as just a book. And when I think of books, I almost never think of the Bible.
You see, it is God’s Word. We all know it. It’s also a way of life. Not just a book to read. It holds all of our history back to the beginning of time. It holds beautiful comfort in Psalms. Practical instructions in Proverbs. Warnings in the Prophets. Inspiration through the work of the Holy Spirit throughout.
And finally, the story of our salvation. Our Lord Jesus Christ, coming in the Flesh, and offering His own body up as a sacrifice for our sin so that we can live with Him in heaven forever.
Without end.
Great delights.
Unimaginable.
But true.
A Lantern In Her Hand
This is the answer I gave. Because Bess Streeter Aldrich, the author of A Lantern in Her Hand inspired my imagination to write. Way back when I was only nine or ten years old.
This is not a childrens’ book. It is the story of Abbie Deal, Pioneer. Fiction, but true.
Bess takes Abbie from her childhood, through her life to her death at 80 years old. Abbie chose a farmer over a fancy doctor who could make her the lady she wanted to be. The farmer offered a conestoga wagon, a sod house, a prairie of waving, sighing grasses indicating the passing of time. She raised a family of five and was part of the community that established a town, and finally a city in Nebraska.
Abbie said she never thought of being part of an era, she was just raising a family.
The book was written in the early 20th century. It is long on narrative. Not the usual sound bite dialogue we are used to reading (and writing) these days. But I learned that there is depth in words that can only be absorbed, not spoken.
The Rest of the Story
Now you know.
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