Shhh!! We're in a library

Ever heard that expression, "my life is an open book?" Well, that popped into my head the other night and I got to thinking about it and before I knew it, I began to consider what that expression could mean spiritually. Books typically belong in a library, whether in your own home or at a public library. Some you own and some you borrow and at some point in time, they become due to be returned from whence they came. It occurred to me that a library is the perfect metaphor to describe all of us under God's care.

After all, God created all of us and decided our stories before we ever existed. Therefore, why wouldn't we be a ginormous set of books in His heavenly library? Think about it. A library houses all sorts of books geared toward all sorts of ages and reading levels. Since God knows all of us, He knows where to put us in His library and where & when to loan us out to an earthly library, and best of all, we get to move around. We may begin in the picture books, then get moved to the early readers, eventually independent readers and young adults sections, etc. Sometimes we may get to be historical fiction, sometimes hysterical fiction, humor, romance, and often times we may end up in the mystery section for a while. The self-help section generally isn't too full since if we are trying to help ourselves, it is not normally successful unless we remember to also allow God to help us at the same time. At one time, my mom-addled brain thought I'd end up in the "hooked on phonics" section, or on the shelf for "slow class," hahaha. At other times, I thought of myself in the "beyond help" section but later realized that once I let God back into my life, no such section existed unless I permanently turned away from Him. It all depends on the paths we choose and who we encounter along the way. How lucky we are! We get to take a guided tour free of charge. So long as we believe and have faith in the process, we get to stick around for the ride.

If you think about it, all of us are on loan to an earthly library and some day, we will all become due and God will return us to the proper section in His library. There are only 3 sections where I do not want to be placed. One is the reference section. It may sound like a good place to be. After all, reference books generally contain a lot of knowledge, and many people could find that knowledge useful. That is the section where you get to stay in the library; in fact, you aren't allowed to leave. No one can lose you because you cannot be checked out. But that is also the section that gathers dust, as in the encyclopedias that today's youth have no knowledge of since they are old school and not electronic (what's an encyclopedia, Mom?) In James 2:14-26, he describes how ones faith and actions are intertwined, and one cannot truly exist without the other. That to me describes the reference section in the library. There either your faith sits without actions, or your actions sit without faith. Neither one gets to move around, few take an interest in them, and neither one finds favor with the Lord.

The other unwanted sections are the graphic novel section, for obvious reasons, and the worst one of all, the used book sale. That is where either people discard their unwanted books from home, or the library discards the unwanted and unused books, perhaps stored in a dark dusty closet until enough books are accumulated to hold a sale. What better way to describe where one could end up without a faith backed with actions? I for one, do not want to ever end up in Satan's bargain book sale, especially if I stay on the table until the last day when they hold the "stuff your bag for a buck sale", and what if I don't sell? Then I would be discarded for good or burned. Who would want that kind of fate? I don't.

My hope is that I will have had enough faith, love and actions during my lifetime to honor the Lord, so that when He comes to collect me, He'll find me with the pages worn on the edges, maybe yellowed with age, perhaps even a little dog-eared on the corners, and I'll fall open to the best parts of my life because they were worth reading over and over. Then maybe I'll end up on one of His more beloved bookshelves in whichever section He decides I most belong. I really hope that shelf will house all my beloved family and friends.

So, what part of the library are you going to end up belonging to someday? The reference section, the discarded book sale or the Lord's most prized shelves?