Wednesdays with Words

I’m currently reading Madeleine L’Engle’s “The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth”. I don’t always agree with all that she writes, but so much of what she writes resonates strongly with me, even if I decide that I don’t agree with her in the end. And she is so quotable:

“One of the results of the Fall is that we have forgotten who we are, and so have forgotten how to be.  Learning to be hurts.  We can sing songs of happiness without knowing pain.  But we can sing the joy of our creation and honor our Creator only from within the fire.” p. 40

This is so true.  It is easy to “do” and so, so difficult to “be” and it was when I walked through the “fire” of temptation and pain and suffering that I met the Lord in a new, close way that I doubt would have occurred if I hadn’t needed Him so desperately.

“Eating has always been important to me, because the focal point of the day is the dinner table, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet.  The dinner hour is a sacramental time for me, a time of gratitude for whoever is gathered around the table, for the food, for our being part of the great story of Creation.  We share the day’s events, tell stories, look up words in dictionaries, linger long after the meal is over while the candles burn down.” p. 56

Yes!

“We are not meant to be plaster saints who are never frightened or angry.  These are human emotions and few people can avoid them.  However we are not meant to be stuck in them, but to turn to God, and move on.  When I am angry with someone I know, to my rue, that there have been many times when I, too, have been less than I ought to be, when I have not honored God’s image within me.  This understanding alone should be enough to keep us from hanging onto grudges” pp. 76-77

I love her wisdom here.

And one last quote for now:

“The storyteller is a storyteller because the storyteller cares about truth, searching for truth, expressing truth, sharing truth.” p. 103

I am loving reading Madeleine L’Engle’s thoughts on writing, God, love, friendship, story, and ultimately life itself.  I am reading this very slowly and thinking about it and rereading bits.  It’s been well worth my time and effort.