Grateful to be reminded

With the July 4^th holiday weekend here and some much-needed flexibility in our family’s demanding schedule, we decided to escape north to the cabin for a few relaxing days. We arrived late last night. It was beautiful - sixty degrees at midnight, with a black sky blanketed in stars and framed in towering pines. We woke this morning to birds, sunshine and a cool breeze. No alarm clocks, no schedule, no meetings, no phone calls, no obligations. I came prepared, my old canvas bag filled with books. I love books and I love to read. If I’m not at a ball field or a sporting event, two of my favorite places to go are bookstores and libraries. I usually stop, without thinking, and breathe in the unmistakably sweet aroma of literature. Nothing feeds my soul like a good book, a well-written column, a thought-provoking blog, a funny story – words that are strung together to entertain, to nurture, to teach and to feed.

Today, I dug the first book from my bag. My friend loaned it to me to read and I’ve been desperate to carve out some time to devour it. I purchased this book for my friend’s birthday some years ago. He said he couldn’t bring himself to read it until recently - it was sad and yet, once completed, good. He passed it along to me. So I sat mid-morning with a book I chose for my friend that found its way back to me and once I began, could not put it down. I took it with me when we went into town for a stroll through a rummage sale – more books – a brief look at antiques and an outdoor lunch at a family favorite, The Randall House.

As we walked back to the car after lunch, billowy, dark clouds swallowed the blue sky and the wind quickly picked up. We were excited for a storm and agreed, nothing is better than sitting in a comfy cabin reading a good book during a rainstorm. We hurried home. I settled into the couch with my cozy blanket, as the sky rumbled outside, like the belly of a hungry man. The thunder rolled and the rain fell, as did my tears as I tore through the end of my book. At 200 pages, it was just the right length for a day like today and as I read the final page, I was touched by the author’s remarkable faith and tremendous courage as his family’s youngest member fought a gut-wrenching battle with Leukemia. His writing is poetic, beautiful, artistic and powerful while the story is nothing short of amazing.

For those of you who enjoy a great read, I would highly recommend this quick little number.  One Small Sparrow is a true story written by Jeff Leeland and recounts the remarkable journey that his family took when his infant son fell ill, was denied insurance coverage for a life saving operation, and the whole community stepped up to do the right thing while God orchestrated His plan through the lives of so many. A reminder that His plans, His grace and His compassion are always designed to reveal His glory. I’m grateful to be reminded.