Read To Me

A short video greeted me this morning.
A dear friend posted a video of her granddaughter.
Her granddaughter was sitting on her mom’s lap reading a book.
Except this little one is too small to read yet.

This precious little girl was imitating what her mom has probably done hundreds of times.
She was touching the lines of words as she “read”.
She was expressive, speaking in her toddler voice, about the mysteries that only she knew.
Her mom was smiling in the background, delighted by her daughter’s love of books.

I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
“Blackbirds” stowed in the hold beneath.
I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.
I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.
I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings–
Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be–
I had a Mother who read to me.
(The Reading Mother by Strickland Gillilan; public domain)

The poem The Reading Mother came to mind as I watched the mother and daughter.
Especially the last few lines:
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be–
I had a Mother who read to me.

As the poem attests, it is vitally important to choose the right book to read to a child.
This poet remembers fondly the books of adventure his own mother chose.
Books that brought him to other worlds and showed him heroes he could emulate.
Books that allowed him to travel the world without leaving his home.

Books of all sorts, all genres, age appropriate books at the child’s level of interest.
A mother holds the key when she holds a book in her hand.
My own mother used to say something I have never forgotten.
You are never without a friend if you have a good book.

My daughter, who teaches second grade, is a reading specialist.
She can always tell which boy or girl has been read to as a child.
Their early reading skills are already in place by the time they reach school.
Their vocabulary is enriched.

I have wonderful memories of reading to my children.
It was something we did before bedtime and often at other times throughout the day.
A trip to the library was something we all looked forward to.
There was nothing better than cuddling together and reading a good book.

Chapter books were loved the most.
We got lost in the characters and the situations.
We couldn’t wait to open the book to see what happens next.
Many nights, we would sit on our porch swing and read under a light blanket.

The books became our friends, just like my mother said they would all those years ago.
We still love to read and talk about the books we are currently reading.
Words.
Wonderful words.

THE WORD!
JESUS!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:1-5)

The most important book a mother could read to her child is the Bible.
Over and over, getting lost in the people God, in His sovereignty, put in its pages.
Reading about people, just like us, that God used as part of His Sovereign plan.
Reading about situations of sinful people, just like us, and how God redeemed them.

Reading about THE WORD, the title given to Jesus.
As one little girl said, Jesus is called The Word because that is all God wanted to say!
The Story is complete, but not quite.
Jesus, the Word came and is coming back.

A child needs to know Truth.
A child needs to know what is in the pages of the Bible.
A child needs to know how very much God loves them.
A child needs to know how to be saved through Jesus.

A reading mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, brother, or sister.
Reading words in books.
Reading about THE WORD in God’s book.

Captivating.
Instructing.
Preparing.

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. (Revelation 1:3)

Cuddle up and read books and more books.
Read THE Book, the adventure Story about how the lost is found.