This past Saturday, Daven and I went to several thrift stores, hunting for books. We walked into a bookstore that had, I kid you not, 100+ cats living all around it. Every corner you would turn, there would be a cat. Or multiple cats. But thats getting off topic.
We walked upstairs to where the books were, and spent at least an hour browsing through the shelves, examining all of the decades-old books.
I came across one book, seemingly thrown onto its shelf, and picked it up. It was small- 65 pages total, and looked really worn. The once gold ink was almost completely faded, and all of the fragile pages were yellowed. It was 5 rand (about 45 cents) so naturally, I bought it. (We would later learn that this is one of the original copies, printed in the 40’s)
Later that day, Dav and I found ourselves at a coffee shop eating dinner and, well, drinking coffee. I pulled out my stack of new books (I bought 5 oops) and began flipping through them. Picking up the smallest book last, the one that only cost 45 cents, I began reading it aloud. Daven and I took turns reading this book, called The Silence, to each other in a coffee shop, and I’ll be honest, there was a moment I started to cry because the book is just so dang beautifully written. We haven’t finished the book yet, but here are just a few of my favorite quotes from The Silence, by Evelyn Whitell.
“I am wrapped in the garment of sunrise.
The shimmering golden rays fill me with healing power. The golf changes into the deepest pink.
Gods love is expressed through me in color.
Now the blue of a smiling sky shines round about me.
My aspiration is set in the heavens.
The blue deepens into purple.
I am rich with the wealth of kings.
I turn my face to the east in adoration.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and of earth.
I see my whole body aflame with His glory.
I relax in the white light, and on the shining rays, send out my blessings.
Peace to the north, Peace to the south, Peace to the east, Peace to the west. Peace.”
“Lovingly, selflessly, giving of my best, I will travel onward, step by step, into the greater glory that is yet to be revealed.”
“The great strong arms of the universal father are round about me.”
“As a child looks to it’s earthly father for daily needs, so I – trustful as a little child – depend on His great love, and opening my soul to it, I feel it flowing through me with life-giving power.”
“I dwell on the word ‘lovingly’ because love, being the greatest thing in the world, can, by its radiance, change all darkness into light, all sickness into health, all poverty to abundance, can lift me on its shining wings, can help me to forget and it forgive all things in which the human eyes seemed wrong.”
And, my favorite:
“I go forth conquering and to conquer, armed with strength and unafraid.”
Thanks for this beautiful gift of words, God. Thanks for this book based on being in your presence, and thanks for making it only 45 cents.
