Bookaphilia
Thou shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble: for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them."Isaiah 65:23
I have a disease that I didn’t know I had. As I listened to the "symptoms" described by Richard "Little Bear" Wheeler at the homeschool conference, I realized that I, too, suffered from the same "illness". Had I not gone to his seminar at our state Homeschool Convention, I would never have known that it had a name.
"Little Bear" called it Bookaphilia – a love of, and a strong desire, to collect books. It is also a "disease" that seems to be prevalent among homeschoolers. I can attest to the evidence of bookaphilia in my own life by the hundreds of books, which line my family room walls.
The specific kind of this "disorder" will be found in the types of books that one collects. Mr. Wheeler's is that of history. But what intrigued me with this greatly admired Christian man was the reason behind his obsession, namely, to leave a spiritual legacy to his future generations.
As a result, it was clearly evident that God’s blessing was upon his life. This really spoke to my heart! When one’s motives are pure and unselfish, God blesses!
This Christian man has a strong desire that his children see God’s Providential Hand in history; that they observe the Lord’s moving of circumstances and events to bring about HIS Perfect Will. Mr. Wheeler's hope is that his offspring will then be able to recognize God’s workings in their own lives. The many examples from American history that he gave certainly made a difference in my own life, with an even deeper, personal message.
Even more than I value my homeschooling collection, is the importance that I place on my personal library. These are books that I have accumulated over the years, which have had an impact on my "Ministry of Mothering". As I read them, I highlight, underline, and ear-mark special words, sentences, and paragraphs, which speak to my heart. Not only can I then "reread" them through my special notations, but, my hope is, as I eventually pass them down to my daughters and granddaughters, that they can catch a glimpse into what I held dear in my life through my "markings."
Just as "Little Bear's" intention is to leave a legacy to his children of Historical Providence, and its implication in their own lives, I pray that the Lord will honor my motives to leave a legacy of the importance of mothering in my life, and my desire to raise generations who are able to stand strong in the Lord.
Prayer: Gracious Father, thank you for bringing special people along in our lives to encourage us in our Christian walk and ministry. Thank you for speaking personally to my own heart. I pray that You will honor my intention to impact generations for You!
