In honor of August 9th’s Book Lovers Day, a day dedicated to books and those who love them, I sit on my front porch as the sun sets, sipping an evening tea and reminiscing about all the stories told in books, and how those stories have influenced my own. I take a sip.
I’ve always loved books. The Accelerated Reader (AR) program in my elementary schooling is to thank for that, always encouraging me to read more. The thrill of the story always has fascinated me, experiencing worlds I would never have otherwise known. I grew up continuing to love books and was in my teens during the epic midnight releases of the Harry Potter and Twilight books. Yes, you would have seen me at those midnight book releases, followed by an all-night reading frenzy and a day of rest - the 2000s were a great time to be a reader.
In my adult years, while I do drift to the thrilling turns of a fiction book, I developed an appetite for books based in spiritual matters. Texts such as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis challenged my views of what it meant to live a Christian life. Tim Keller’s book Prayer and Tozer’s In Pursuit of God gave me tools and contexts I never had before. Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, and The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan are just a few more, offering me a healthy mix of theological and experiential foundations to supplement my walk with the Lord. I was challenged to have faith in my trials, to trust that God is alive and active, and to know that He cares for me still, all through the bold sharing in these teachings and stories told. All because of books.
Is there a book you would consider to be a friend? I have one. Of all the books I’ve read, this one sits above them all, as real a friend to me as this little moth here on the porch, as real as the moon. How we met escapes me, but we do have a rich history. The book is My Utmost for His Highest, that beloved devotional by Oswald Chambers. While Chambers is credited as the author, his wife was the one who compiled transcriptions of his speeches and writings after his passing in 1917 at the age of 43. Chambers' life was dedicated to telling the story of Christ and his gospel, and the teaching of complete abandonment to him. His words are descriptive, and he speaks of Christian life in actualities that resonate very practically. His words are my friends, and lead me back to the throne of God every time. What better friend could you ask for than that?
The sun has long set, and my post is coming to an end, and now all I want to do is go read. What a gift it is, the written word, and what a gift we have in our most precious written Word, our Bible, the very breath of God. Now that is a book for every day.
Books are awesome.
Meet the Author!
Haley Hanzel is a musician, teacher, and member of Council Road. You can find her playing violin on Sunday mornings, leading worship for the youth, or in an orchestra classroom. She enjoys a fresh cup of coffee, long drives, and Oklahoma sunsets.