(After reading chapter 1 of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, by George MacDonald)
I am looking forward to reading this book. My copy is from the library, and part of me wishes I had my own so I could "mark it up," underlining, highlighting, making notes in the margins. There are pearls all over the place. I guess in the absence of having my own copy, I can enjoy using my copybook and journal for copying down quotes and for making notes. After all, truly owning a book has nothing to do with having your own paper copy. Truly owning a book is when you have taken it in, and you have learned from it those things God would have you learn from it; the parts that God wants to apply to your life have been applied. If I want to read it again someday, I can get it from the library again or I can get a copy of my own.
I think this book will be edifying concerning living a quiet life for God. Even if my life expands and doesn't stay quiet, the blessings of understanding how to enjoy the "little things" will greatly enhance my life and the lives of those my life touches. All big things are made up of many little things anyway, so I might as well learn how to enjoy and appreciate all those little things.
In chapter 1 of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood, after a few pleasantly thought-provoking remarks, the narrator starts out telling his story from a standpoint of feeling depressed. He goes for a walk in the gloomy, rainy, muddy, boggy weather to take a look at the area outside his new residence, for he has just moved there. The weather mirrors and only seems to deepen the depression and lethargy.
The narrator meets a man on his walk, and feels so low that he doesn't even want to acknowledge the man, but the man interrupts his low thoughts because the man wants to meet him, wants to see his face in person before seeing it behind the pulpit; the narrator is going to be the minister of the church for the people in the area.This elderly man the narrator meets gives the narrator the gift of seeing needs he may be able to fill, and also opens his eyes to something he knows God wants him to keep in mind as he starts his new position--to be the same person behind the pulpit as he is the rest of the time.
As he parts from the old man, he realizes everything looks a little prettier, the depression begins to lift. The sun comes out as if to confirm this newness of life and perspective. And just then, he overhears a little boy saying something to his "Auntie," something that inspires the narrator. The words of the little boy are like the sunshine giving a ray of hope, and the narrator suddenly realizes that in such a small way, a big difference was made. That ray of sunshine, that ray of hope that came out of the boy's mouth, made all the difference in the world to him.
He saw that to make the smallest difference, even to give one person a single ray of hope, is more important and satisfying than all the exciting riches the world might have to offer.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Does trusting someone to be honorable help them to be honorable?
(After reading The History, by Herodotus [c.484-c.425 B.C.], Book 4, chapter 196)
Herodotus tells us that the Carthaginians told of a country they made trade with in northern Africa beyond the promontories of the Strait of Gibraltar. The custom with this country was that the Carthaginians would take the wares out of their ships and put them on the land along the beach and then return to their ships and raise a great smoke. The natives, seeing the smoke, would come to see what wares were laid out for them and would put an amount of gold out and then retreat. The Carthaginians would come ashore to see how much gold was laid out; if the amount was sufficient in exchange for the wares, they would take the gold and depart in their ships. If the amount was not enough, the Carthaginians would leave the gold on shore and go back to their ships and wait. The natives would bring more gold and lay it out and again retreat. The Carthaginians would again come and see how much gold was laid out, and if sufficient, they would take the gold and leave. If not, the Carthaginians would leave the gold there and go back to their ships and wait while the natives brought out more gold. This process would continue until the amount of gold came up to the value of the wares. After the Carthaginians departed with their gold and their ships, the natives would take the goods.
Apparently, the Carthaginians never touched the gold until enough was there to pay for the wares, and the natives never took any of the wares until the Carthaginians had taken away the gold.
This story may or may not be true; Herodotus simply tells us what he was told. This story, whether it is true or not, is a testimony to believing in the good will of people and of trusting one another. If nothing else, it testifies that someone was willing to believe this story long enough to tell it, and that Herodotus considered it at least possibly true, since he included it in his histories. I want the story to be true, because it sings good tidings. It says that if we trust someone to be honorable, he will be honorable. It speaks of the honor system, something many of us have forgotten about with all the bad news we hear on television and internet.
Do you think this story is true?
Do you think that if we trust someone to be honorable, it will help them to be honorable?
I would love to hear your comments. I encourage you to reply to this post with some thoughts of your own.
* * *
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Herodotus tells us that the Carthaginians told of a country they made trade with in northern Africa beyond the promontories of the Strait of Gibraltar. The custom with this country was that the Carthaginians would take the wares out of their ships and put them on the land along the beach and then return to their ships and raise a great smoke. The natives, seeing the smoke, would come to see what wares were laid out for them and would put an amount of gold out and then retreat. The Carthaginians would come ashore to see how much gold was laid out; if the amount was sufficient in exchange for the wares, they would take the gold and depart in their ships. If the amount was not enough, the Carthaginians would leave the gold on shore and go back to their ships and wait. The natives would bring more gold and lay it out and again retreat. The Carthaginians would again come and see how much gold was laid out, and if sufficient, they would take the gold and leave. If not, the Carthaginians would leave the gold there and go back to their ships and wait while the natives brought out more gold. This process would continue until the amount of gold came up to the value of the wares. After the Carthaginians departed with their gold and their ships, the natives would take the goods.
Apparently, the Carthaginians never touched the gold until enough was there to pay for the wares, and the natives never took any of the wares until the Carthaginians had taken away the gold.
This story may or may not be true; Herodotus simply tells us what he was told. This story, whether it is true or not, is a testimony to believing in the good will of people and of trusting one another. If nothing else, it testifies that someone was willing to believe this story long enough to tell it, and that Herodotus considered it at least possibly true, since he included it in his histories. I want the story to be true, because it sings good tidings. It says that if we trust someone to be honorable, he will be honorable. It speaks of the honor system, something many of us have forgotten about with all the bad news we hear on television and internet.
Do you think this story is true?
Do you think that if we trust someone to be honorable, it will help them to be honorable?
I would love to hear your comments. I encourage you to reply to this post with some thoughts of your own.
* * *
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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