A Love Affair

 She was a little aged. Older than me. She was still fit but time had taken a toll on her. I held her in my hands gently so as not to damage her. I could smell her. The age did not matter to me. I was in love. We stole away to an isolated location to enjoy one another. Brenda was not there. None of my kids were there either. It was just God, my companion and me. 

Truth is I could not quit thinking about her. Once I got her in sight I could not take my eyes off her. I examined her closely. The more I looked the more I wanted to be alone with her. Treasured time with her consumed my thoughts and passionate desire. What once had only been a longing now had involved into a full fledged affair. 

Oh, what were you thinking. I am not talking about another woman. Get your mind out of the gutter. I admit I'm grinning because I set you up.  I am talking about a century old book Brenda bought me for my birthday. A biography of an old Scottish preacher named Alexander Whyte. Last night I got lost in the faded pages of that old book. I longingly read and tenderly held that book turning page after page until sleep finally caught up with me. Brenda bought me several old books I discovered in my other readings. What a glorious day. No kid has ever had a better birthday than that. 

I have a love affair with books. I have an office at home with shelves filled with books. I have an office at Spring Creek filled with numerous volumes all crying out for my attention. Spurgeon. Tozer. McClaren. Parker. Morgan. Truett. Criswell. Swindoll. Cymbala, Luther, Piper, Brainerd, and Wesley. So many begging for me to get lost in their pages. 

Out of all the thousands of volumes I have, one book stands alone. My greatest love affair with books is with the Bible. I love to read it. I am currently reading through Isaiah. I love to study it for messages. I got so caught up in studying one verse yesterday for the Sunday evening message I lost track of time. It is a labor of love. An affair for a lifetime to give myself to the holiest book. A love affair I pray never ends and a passion that never fades.