It was Christmas Eve 2019, and we were waiting in-between the 5 PM children's skit service for my sister to play the piano for the 7 PM service.
"What are you looking for?" an elderly woman asked me.
"Good Christian biographies", I replied.
I found three books, somehow just scanning a page tells me if the book will be good, and was given permission by the pastor to borrow them.
Two days later, I was exposed to someone's new "cold", but for me it turned into a very bad chest cough and I was sick in bed for the first ten days of 2020.
I wonder if it was the Covid-19 virus. It was weird and I haven't been so sick in a very long time.
But the good part about being sick in bed, alone in the basement at my sister's, was I could READ!
Being an artist means I have to rest my eyes, and can't usually read as much as I would like anymore.
Biography and autobiography are a way of having excellent influences and friends, people who share their lives and motivate change in you - positively or negatively - as you learn from "watching" someone else's life.
When young, I was taught there are four levels of Friendship in life -
Acquaintances - the many people who you meet briefly
Casual Friends - people who know a bit of public information about you
Close Friends - people with whom you share similar direction in life
Intimate Friends - those few 2-5 folks in life, like parents, children and spouses
It has been studied and determined that one tends to become an average of the five or ten closest friends you hang with on a regular basis.
You influence your friends, they influence you.
Monkey see, monkey do.
Sometimes you have to evaluate things.
On the other hand, I don't believe in shutting people off and being unkind just because someone's income, job, education or status doesn't meet your own standard.
Many people on the street today have stories and good character which can be helpful and a good influence.
Back to Biography
Growing up, I didn't have the experience of high school or college friends.
My friends were mainly my siblings, my elderly church friends, my retired art group friends.
And a few scattered young women penpal friends who lived far away, and kindly wrote me, snailmail.
So, books became my "friends".
My musical instruments also were like "friends" to me.
And our animals, too.
Due to injury, loss of my dad at an early age, and many other life trials, I tend to see myself as a survivor, and therefore take great encouragement from reading how others have also overcome great pain, separation from loved ones, and losses.
Another great thing about biography is you get to "travel" to different lands along with the people in the book!
I "went to" England, Scotland, Egypt, Bulgaria, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Canada through reading these four books, below!
I love differences and variety. Of course, some things remaining the same are helpful, too, but going places and seeing new things, hearing other tongues and music, smelling the different smells, tasting different foods...is special. This world is FULL of variety!
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Oswald - poet, musician and visual artist, and me
Oswald Chambers and I have been friends for a very long time.
As a teenager, my mother introduced me to his deep thoughts. I loved them. I felt Oswald understood my bent toward beauty and art more than most people I met.
Before becoming a pastor, Oswald had gone to one year of art school, in Scotland I believe. He was very good at getting realism with graphite values in his drawings.
He understood about trying to understand myself, and told me only God can ever fully understand us...because He created us! This comforted me.
More than any other deceased person's writings, outside of the Bible, it was Oswald who mentored me, and spoke into my heart and life about unseen realities. He taught me it MATTERS how you live this earthly life and that all our sufferings are not in vain. There IS a purpose when you live as a Son of God, in Christ!
I cannot recommend this biography by David McCasland highly enough, it was FABULOUS! A HUGE encouragement to me!
If you want to read Oswald's thoughts, so carefully preserved through Oswald's very diligent and perfectly-suited-to-him stenographer wife, Biddy, you can read more here https://utmost.org/classic/today/
I read with awe how Oswald made the decisions he did in life...to live outside the "normal 9-5 box" and seek God's face for direction. What a wonderful treasure this book is! I felt God had given me a large present, on Christmas Eve! =)
Haralan Popov
Then, still coughing badly, I read "Tortured for His Faith" by Haralan Popov
If you think you are suffering now, this book puts everything into a different perspective. This man was forced to work outside in minus 25 degrees below zero weather, with no hat, gloves, or coat on. His clothing was wet and froze.
Of 12,000 men put into one island prison back in the 1950-60s era, only 4,000 survived the living conditions and severe weather elements in which they were forced to work, unjustly.
He was a survivor of tremendously bad prison conditions, but his faith in God was not shaken, it was strengthened! Again, I highly recommend this book, about an evangelical Bulgarian pastor imprisoned by communists for his faith in Christ.
Isobel Kuhn
Isobel Kuhn's autobiographic book, "In the Arena" was equally stunning in what she taught and shared about her life as a missionary in China.Each chapter of this gem of a book is about a trial or problem she had to overcome, and how she was led by rhemas (specific personal messages) from the Word of God. A WONDERFUL book!
I would now like to read ALL of Isobel's books!
Nelofer Pazira
Lastly, Nelofer Pazira is writing from a Muslim background, of her beloved country, Afghanistan.
Nelofer lost her home in Kabul, leaving her dad's large library behind, as they fled the country to save their lives...I, too, know some of that same pain at the loss of our books...
I appreciated gaining a better understanding of the decades of suffering of the Afghan people. It is quite tragic. Reparations and true peace are needed, on so many levels around the world today!
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May the King of Glory teach us all how to be more grateful for the many blessings we have been given, and also glad for the sorrow that we have NOT had in life.
To some degree, each man, woman and child you know or meet is suffering - if not financially, then emotionally, mentally, physically or relationally.
Kindness is listed as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit. We need more Kindness today.
As Pentacost is remembered on this day around the world...
May the Spirit who still surrounds us in the invisible realm bring comfort and healing to all with hurting hearts today.
With Sincerity, your beauty-loving friend,
Elise
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."
- Galatians 5:22-26
All the Way My Savior Leads Me
A frequently told story about this hymn relates that it came to Fanny as a result of a prayer. Struggling financially, she desperately needed some money. As her usual custom, Fanny began to pray. A few minutes later, a gentleman offered her five dollars, the exact amount she needed. Later recalling the incident, she said, "I have no way of accounting for this except to believe that God put it into the heart of this good man to bring the money." The poem she wrote afterward became "All The Way My Savior Leads Me".
All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way Jesus led me all the way.
- Fanny J. Crosby, circa 1875
