I just finished reading A Legacy of Love: Things I Learned from My Mother, by Ruth Graham. It is, of course, written about her mother, Ruth Bell Graham, wife to Billy Graham. It is a small book, filled with insights about this admirable woman. I was particularly challenged by Mrs. Graham's thoughts on journalling. She advised her daughter to record the shining hours of her life. I thought about my own haphazard journalling and blogging, and I realized that too often I just use it as a chance to vent. Now venting is certainly valuable -- I can't keep everything bottled up inside -- but a journal preserves the events of my life, and do I really want my life to sound like one big whine?
The author also talked about finding shining hours within the dark times of life, because those dark hours make you reach out for the Light of the World.
I've always admired Ruth Bell Graham, and this book gave me a more complete picture of her. Her daughter said that Ruth was always reading several books at once, because, in her words, "One does not finish all of the pickles before opening the olives."
8 years ago
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Oh thank you!! Yea Mrs Bell Graham! i frequently fight guilt as i go back to the buffet of life (and/or books) and sampling new flavors while i still have previous flavors unfinished. this new way of looking at it as "pickle, olives, and hmm, let's see, ketchup, mustard," etc. is incredibly freeing and inspiring.
i think i will go spend a delightful evening sampling my eclectic reading material :)
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