Electronic books make having lots of reading material available with the touch of a finger.
While the owner of an eBook can carry volumes in the weight of a few ounces, nothing replaces the feel of a hard cover or paperback in the hand. I enjoy the texture of the pages as they are turned and the smell of the ink on the paper as a story comes to life.
Books can last for years and be read over and over by different people. As the book is passed down in libraries or borrowed from individuals, a little of the reader stays with that book. Names, phone numbers, and addresses mingle with the story when the stroke of a pen takes ownership of the prized possession. Sometimes little notes that give a glimpse of the personality of the book’s owner are inscribed inside the publication.
As the parchment ages, the distinctive smell of an old book can’t be erased. The tome has absorbed from those who have held the volume in their hands, and maybe some of the dust collected on the top when in a dormant stage has added to the character. Colors can fade and scratches and dings can mar the cover, but those are all things that make each book individual and valuable.
Humans are stories on the earth. As we age, our pages crinkle and yellow. Sometimes we are in a dormant season of life, but we still have a place and purpose on the shelf. We may have the smell of an old book—but only because the years have left some scars and dents.
As a child of God, our place is in the library of heaven. When we are taken off the shelf of our present existence, we will have new leafs and covers. The fragrance of eternity will replace the smell of age.
Don’t despair because of the worn surfaces of your soul. Rejoice because those pages are valuable and tell your story like no one else can.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Barbara Latta’s desire is to help others find intimacy with God through a deeper understanding of the power of the Word. She writes a monthly column in her local newspaper and contributes to devotional websites and online magazines and has stories in several anthologies. She enjoys riding motorcycles with her husband. Their rides inspired her book, God’s Maps, Stories of Inspiration and Direction for Motorcycle Riders. Barbara’s blog can be found at www.barbaralatta.blogspot.com. She has two grown sons and one daughter-in-love and adores being Mimi to her granddaughter.