Grown-up Girls and Picture Books

A grown-up girl went by herself to the library last night.  Books needed turned in, and the young ones sent a list of items they wanted her to check out.

As the girl walked through the doors into the land of children's books, a lump formed in her throat.  All those books.  Hundreds of books.  So little time. So very little time.

And there was a catch in her breath and her heart.  Picture books aren't on that list any more.  There are still hundreds of picture books left to read, even though hundreds have been read, but the requested books are now long chapter books.

"How can we be so quickly done with picture books?  How can a simple trip to the library be such a stark reminder of how quickly the time goes by?  How can these dear ones grow up so fast?  The time and days and years are flying at breakneck speed as these four tumble and stumble through the lessons that need to be taught and learned.   The children look a little less like children every day.  How does this grown-up girl redeem the time-- and redeem it without becoming overwhelmed at the enormity of the task and the flying minutes?"

Then the truth broke through the musings.

"She redeems it one book at a time, one folded shirt at a time, one dirty plate at a time, one math lesson at a time, one snuggle of a sick girl at a time, one band-aid on a boy's knee at a time, one catechism question at a time, and one "dropping-to-the-knees-to-plead-for-help" at a time.  She redeems it with a never-ending, early-morning, relentless search to find what the Great Author of Time says about numbering our days to gain a heart of wisdom as we live in a time-restricted world."

So as this grown-up girl walked past the stacks and stacks of picture books toward the stacks and stacks of chapter books, she heard her heart say, "Curious George and Pooh, stay awhile longer.  Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys will scoot down and make room.  The kids may seem to be finished with picture books for now, but none of us are ever done with good stories."

Then as she approached the first line of shelves, she remembered yet again that the innate longing for a good book and a good story is a actually a great gift from the Author of the Greatest Story of all...

...the one in which the grown-up girl is the daughter of a King whose Son died to save her life.