Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Magic of Four


It was on a rainy summer afternoon like today that Lucy peered into a wardrobe and discovered the world of Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis forms the series of my most beloved books. I discovered them (with the help of my very literate mother) at the age of seven, and read each of the seven books seven times. There were four Pevensie children, and I do believe they are the reason I always held four to be my magic number.

There are two dreams I have had as long as I can remember. The first is to have four children. The second is to write (and publish) novels. Great novels, like those written by George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, L.M. Montgomery, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Hardy (okay, I’m partial to the English), when read during the formative years, become part of you. Without them, the world would seem like a different place.

It is through the written word that God has shared himself through us. The writer – whether consciously or not - attempts to interpret His truths with the reader. She attempts to find the perfect word, to describe the perfect image, to convey the perfect thought.

Is that perfection attainable? My children argued this during the baking of oatmeal cookies today.

“I want them to be perfect!”
“There’s no such thing as perfect!”
“Well if there’s no such thing as perfect why is there the word?”

I have yet to complete my first novel. I’ve been too busy with the rearing of my first dream, the four children God has gifted me. I have the rest of my life to work on the second goal. In a sinful world, none of us can be the perfect mother or the perfect writer. (“All have fallen short of the glory of God.”) Like goodness, which is only truly attainable by God, I can only try to come as close as I can with the tools I have been given by my Creator.

1 comment:

Leticia said...

And, like Mary, at our Saviour's feet, you have truly "chosen the better part" by being such a loving mother to your children.
Now that you have put first things first, however, there's nothing wrong with writing in your spare time, God obviously has given you two gifts, the gift of motherhood, and the gift of expressing yourself beautifully in writing.
May this blog continue to be a beautiful blend of all your gifts!