Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. ~Proverbs 18:20
(Photo taken at Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub in London)
“Oh by the way,” I say in the car on the way home from dinner, “I want to go to this bookstore I heard about while we are in London. I don’t know how to pronounce it. It’s spelled P-e-r, oh I can’t remember.”
“Per-sef-on-ee,” declares Harrison from the back seat.
“How do you spell that?” I ask.
“P-e-r-s-e-p-h-o-n-e,” he spells.
“That’s it,” I explode in laughter. “How in the world did you know that I was trying to say that word?”
“Oh Mom, you’d be surprised how many people mispronounce that word. It’s the name of some Greek god we learned about in school.”
So, I visit Persephone on Lambs Conduit Street in London on my expedition, the one that my son knew the name of before I could even get the words out of my mouth. H navigates the underground for us and we wander through cobblestone streets in the drizzle with umbrella overhead and into this tiny store lit by a couple of meager lamps.
Women holding piles of books under their arms in sacred silence as I brush the rain off my coat, wipe my shoes on the door mat.
All the books bound with dove grey covers and bookmarks that match the end papers; prints of mostly women authors neglected in the early part of the 20th century. A noble endeavor to dedicate oneself to: printing words penned by those who left the world before the inheritance of acclaim or notoriety.
What if this was your life, my life; that we might not realize the impact of what we do in our lifetime?
Would you keep doing what you are doing if no one noticed? Are we doing the things we do from conviction or self-gratification?
I tell the skinny young girl with the long blond hair and blue scarf draped around her neck how I found Persephone. That one of my favorite authors, Kate Morton of The Forgotten Garden, shared about it in her blog. How she and I have been corresponding and Fortnight in September is the only souvenir I want from this four- day trip to London because I am a lover of words and this store is a rare find.
She looks at me waiting. Like there is more for me to explain. Then I realize Kate Morton is unfamiliar to her because she is an expert in these little known authors and acclaim doesn’t turn her head.
God makes us all experts of something. That unique portal that only our life fits into just right. What is yours?
When we leave Persephone, we find Charles Dickens house and wander through before it closes for the day. Learn that Dickens wrote Great Expectations and Oliver Twist in weekly publications, readers getting one chapter at a time before holding a book in the hands. Hmm, sounds lot like modern day blogging to me.
Sometimes what we do affects the masses and sometimes the few. I realize that most of the people that have had the greatest influence on my life are not people of great fame. Just faithful people committed to being experts at who God created them to be.
What about you? How are you sharing the expert inside with those around you?
Linking with Chatting with the Sky for Tuesdays Unwrapped
“Would I keep on going if no one noticed?” I’ve thought a lot about that. Even with my blog. The readership has dropped to around a quarter of what it was and I have been thinking about if i should keep it up. Yet, if it reaches one person, raises awareness of Christ and missions to one person, I feel like God is saying to keep it up. This book store was a great example. Thank you for sharing.
Shanda, I think about this a lot too. How we look at what others do and base our own success on the success of others that have a more public role. It is a challenge to remain content doing what we feel like God has called us to do and not be moved by circumstances. I, for one, am glad you are continuing to blog!
I admit that at sometimes I wonder why I am even blogging and that I struggle when there aren’t many comments, visits, etc. Yet I believe that God has called me to write and specifically to begin my blog. As Shanda said, if one person is reached, it is all worth it.
In reading about the bookstore I am reminded of the verse found in Psalm 102:18, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.
Blessings,
Joan
Joan, I think we all have the same thoughts and feelings about blogging. Thanks for sharing the verse from Psalms with me. I am going to tuck that away in one of my journals.
great post…we can say so easily…to write for an audience of ONE…but do we really…for me…I believe He wants to use this bloggy world to bring me greater freedom from myself…this tests us in areas we may not be tested in otherwise…I am new in this blog world…but I have already been challenged… this is not my comfort zone…but He calls me to stay…so I stay until He says otherwise…
Blessings as you travel…
Just saying yes in obedience is all He asks. The outcome is up to Him. Hope you are feeling better Roseann.
Visiting from Tuesdays Unwrapped…
This is my first time here. So thankful I found your space…
As I clicked on your link, I was immediately brought in by the fish and chips. We are lovers of London and all things British. We visit, on average, a couple times a year, where we minister to British teens throughout Great Britain. Your pictures and writing took me right back to a place I dearly love.
Thank you for sharing your writing and inspiring us, your readers. I write because I know I’m called to do so. I write because that’s what my Heavenly Father has asked me to do. What he does with what I write, is completely up to him. I simply long to be obedient!
In addition, I’m a new follower via email…
Have a blessed day…
Stefanie, thrilled to meet you today. I have had an extremely hard day and your words are a breathe of encouragement to me. I switched that photo out at the last minute. So glad I did. We had a wonderful few days in London and I can’t wait to go back. Would love to hear more about what you do to minister to teens there. Blessings!