Trying to reestablish a morning devotional as an unswerving part of my routine, these were the readings that came to me from the two dozen or so books on that shelf. Several of them really hit home today, but for different reasons:
Psalm 88, which begins “O Lord god of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee;” and includes the verse “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the shadow of death.”
A Year with C.S. Lewis, a daily devotional Mother gave me (and which she used herself every day). Today’s reading was from the Screwtape Letters (which was one of Daddy’s favorites), in which “Screwtape offers more advice on the value of daily annoyances in trapping a Patient.”
The Calamus Poems by Walt Whitman, stanzas 22 and 23, which include “I am not to speak to you—I am to think of you when I sit alone. . . I am to wait—I do not doubt I am to meet you again . . .”
The Art of Worldly Wisdom, by Baltasar Gracian, number 3, “Keep matters in suspense,” which includes “Once declared, resolutions are never esteemed, and they lie open to criticism. If they turn out badly, you will be twice unfortunate. If you want people to watch and wait on you, imitate the divinity.”
“Training Your Mind to be Ready for Insight,” by Scott McDowell, in Manage Your Day-to-Day, which ends “. . . preparing for insight is all about being persistent, throwing a wrench into the works from time to time, and always working to stay one step ahead of complacency.”
And I always conclude with Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, by Mason Currey. Today’s entry was Umberto Eco.