The Blessing of Reading

If you are reading this, you are blessed.  That remains to be seen you may be thinking.  What I mean is this.  Of the many things we take for granted, (and we do take many things for granted), one of those is the ability to read.  I love to read.  I always have.  Since I was a young child I have loved what books have to offer.  You can read a story and travel all over the world on a great adventure, and you don't even have to leave your easy chair.  Of course there is a lot to be said for traveling and seeing the sights you have read about as well.  But the great thing about books is that you can go on an adventure anytime, day or night, and it doesn't cost you a dime.  Just go to the local library, pick up a book and let your imagination do the rest.

At this point you are probably wondering what in the world sent me off on a tangent about reading. The thing is; I come across people in my work from time to time who do not know how to read.  Even though this happens on a somewhat regular basis, it always surprises me.  The most recent incident involved a very nice lady who stopped in my office to see about a small loan to buy Christmas presents. She was in her early 70's and we had a nice conversation.  As I helped her with her business, it became apparent to me that she could not read the documents that I placed before her.  I explained the gist of what the papers said, and pointed to the places where she needed to sign them.  She was able to write her name, but she in faith, trusted that I was giving her the correct information.

The whole incident reminded me how blessed I am and how I should never take even seemingly small things like reading, for granted.  It also reminded me how lax I am when it comes to spending time in God's Word.  The greatest Book ever written which I should treasure and spend every free minute I have pouring over its pages.  The omnipotent, omnipresent God of the universe, wrote a personal letter to me, and I don't always treasure it as I should.  Please forgive me God.  Please place a burning desire in me to know You and Your word intimately.  I also thank you Father, for blessing me with parents and teachers who spent their time giving me a great gift; the gift of reading.

Comments

[Chris]

Touching story Des, and what a great reminder of how precious a gift like reading really is. I know for me, reading is contagious. What I mean is, whenever I am reading one book, I have momentum and desire to read more books.

I know many people who literally "despise" reading. They think they are not good at it, or they fall asleep every time they try to sit down and read. Reading can be such a two-edged sword. If you have the persistence to work through and read a book, you become encouraged; you feel great having accomplished something (not to mention you have raised your intelligence significantly just by reading). But if you struggle with it time and time again it can become very discouraging and make you feel like a failure (and many end up resorting to the TV or video which actually has the power to stagnate intelligence).

In my opinion, if you are literate--meaning, if at some point in your life you have been taught to read--then continued reading is a responsibility we all have as we grow and mature into adulthood. You are so right, Des. So many take reading for granted. So many make excuses about why they do not read.

And what is the main "form" that God has chosen to use to reveal His Word to us throughout the centuries? A BOOK.

So yes, reading is a great responsibility. It is something that is directly tied to our very relationship with God. How many (other media/information forms) can we say that about?

[Timothy Wasserman]

Thank you Des. I do most of my school by reading. Even with this about 2-3 hours of reading for school, I still read other things for a large majority of my day. I think it is a abilty I take for granted. Your writting has given some new light to a problem you dont think about in the U.S., illiteracy.
Thanks again
-Tim