“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps. 118:24 ESV).
“Good morning!”
“What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
“All of them at once.”
This is a conversation between Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf at the beginning of the book The Hobbit. I can conservatively say I’ve read over a thousand books, and of them all, this is my favourite. I grew up on military bases, mostly outside Canada, and we had no TV (didn’t even have phones). So, I read a lot. I read everything by Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mickey Spillane, Ian Fleming, Dr. Seuss, Robert Ludlum, John le Carré, Ken Follett, and of course, JRR Tolkien (plus many more). I brought this love of reading into the family, and I’d always have at least four books on the go – reading one to the family, one to Christian, one to Amanda, and one for myself.
Over the years, the “one to myself” dropped away. I didn’t stop reading, but as I began to study for the ministry, I read different books – texts to help me improve as a pastor. I felt guilty about having time to read but not using that time for self-improvement. I still enjoyed them, but it wasn't the same. Pursuing a Theology degree, and now, a Master’s of Divinity, I’m always being told what to read. Some I’ve enjoyed, while others have been a chore. My love for reading has slowly seeped away. I cannot remember the last time I picked up a book, purely for the joy of reading it.
This week, that changed. I picked up The Hobbit and started reading – a book I’ve read more times than I could count. The above conversation between the Hobbit and the wizard appears on the fourth page, and it made me laugh out loud. I can't remember the last time words on a page made me do that. I grinned in chapter two as Gandalf tricks the trolls into turning themselves into stone. Instead of reading the entire book in a day – like eating the whole pie in one sitting – I’ve decided to read a chapter a day so I can enjoy each piece, one a day. I’m smiling now as I relish the thought.
I thought about ending the blog here, but I feel it's necessary to offer at least one piece of advice in my writing. Many messages from the Church are about serving others (and rightly so). Today, I tell you to take some time to do something “for yourself.” Something that will bring a smile to your face – and bring delight to our Lord. Bake, garden, read, jog, or put on some music and dance around the room. What is it you’ve “grown out of?” What do you miss? JUST DO IT!
“And David danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Sam. 6:14).
Photo by Jude Beck (supplied by Unsplash)