The Library: Land of Opportunity

It started out as a simple enough task - return a library book. One simple little paperback book had to be returned. The errand should have taken 20 minutes, because there were no other stops to make - just drive, give the nice lady the book and drive home.

An hour later I arrived home with six more books and four magazines. I never met a library I didn't like.

This sounds like a contradiction to what I said yesterday about what we allow our eyes to give our brains, but it's not. Yes, too much information and any of the wrong kind of information is harmful to mind and spirit. Making poor decisions about what you let seep into your life can have lasting repercussions.

On the other hand, Proverbs 4:5-7 says: Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. We can make our homes, our bodies, our finances and our families better and more glorfying to God when we strive to know more. More about the good things, though: the true, the honest, the just, the pure and the lovely.We can reach up and out to learn and grow in all areas of our life.

And what better place to search for some great knowledge and understanding than at the library. There is a whole world of information at your fingertips on so many different subjects. And yes, you could probably find more on the Internet, but I love paper. There is just something about holding a book in your hands and turning the pages that you can't feel when you're sitting at the computer. Libraries are made for people who want to wander through the stacks, let a title or author's name catch your eye, and discover something you didn't even know was out there.

The library provides a refuge from the world for a little while, a place to escape that has no admission fee, no deadlines and no loud, thumping music. You can spend an entire afternoon looking for information on housekeeping, books on raising a great dog, or magazine articles on gardening. You can lose yourself in the craft stack (yes, I speak from experience) or find the just-right cookbook for your taste.

Just this month at our local library there were literary discussion groups, gardening classes, a quilter's club, author presentations, resume writing instruction and a story time for children. You could go every day and soak up all kinds of the good information that will help you grow in your daily walk with the Lord. It may seem like a lot of work, or of little consequence, but are we truly willing to lay all we are at God's feet and let Him show us new and wonderful things?

We are commanded in God's Word to better our lives and our work for Him. I strive to be a better cook, more talented crafter and a willing housekeeper. These are things I want to do to answer the call God has placed on my life, not just to keep up with the Joneses or flaunt my own skills. Someday I will stand before God and be accountable for how I used my time and talents. If a trip to the library every week can give me some knowledge and understanding to be a better servant day by day, I'm willing to make that joyful sacrifice!

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