Weekly Photo Challenge: Growth (aka Books on a Shelf)

This is another weekly photo challenge picture. The challenge was growth. All of the normal thoughts came to me… trees, flowers, other plants, people, babies, animals, height, construction projects… you know, things that can be seen and easily understood. Trees get taller. Flowers bloom. People grow up (and sometimes out). Normal.

Again, I didn’t want to be normal. So I picked books. Some of these books I’ve read dozens of times (the falling apart books: Ella Enchanted, Old Fashioned Girl, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, Mara, and Witch of Blackbird Pond). Those are the ones I grew up with. You could also say that they grew me because my actions and decisions have definitely been influenced by the characters in those books.

Others I’ve only read once. Primal by Mark Batterson is one such book. Ohhhh the growth that happened in that book and from reading it!!! I’ve always called writing in books “Book Desecration” but that one was so good that I desecrated the mess out of it. Underlining and starring and exclamation points all over the place. It moved me, stopped me, convicted me, challenged me, questioned me. It grew in me a love the likes of which I hadn’t felt in a longgggg time. Growth for sure! Too Small to Ignore is another. It changed my perspective on things and grew my desire to give. Money, time, energy, love.. ALL of me to those in need, especially children.

And still more of those books haven’t been read yet. This is another of growth. It represents the growth to come. What can be learned in those books? What stories will I watch grow and change before my eyes (and in my extremely visual mind)? How will I grow while reading them? The possibilities!!!!!
So there you have it. Growth as demonstrated by books. It’s multidimensional!

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