I love quotes that succinctly convey a wise or true idea. Not banal clichés, but deeper, more meaningful maxims pithily expressed. I collect books of quotations, and often browse through them. I love it when just a few words effectively express a profound truth in a way that causes me to savor its richness.
This habit is in inverse proportion to my own tendency to run at the mouth. My wit must not have much soul if Shakespeare was correct in saying, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Then again, if Dorothy Parker was right when she said, “Brevity is the soul of lingerie” I am probably okay.
God likes these distilled truths too, and even included an entire book of Proverbs in His Holy Bible. My fondness for proverbs is a part of His image that I reflect. When looked at that way, the crisp use of language becomes much more than a hobby. This is why I was thrilled at Christmas to receive a huge Bartlett’s and Roget’s Thesaurus as a gift. This volume is a treasury of descriptive words, lists, and relevant quotes. Reading it is like gorging on a buffet of rich delicacies. And we all know how much I love my sweets!
The past several weeks have been a wonderfully busy time of celebration with friends and family. I am grateful for those relationships and the full life with which God has blessed me. This intense level of activity has also consumed all of my energy, and kept me from being able to write as I would like. I seem to need a great deal of time to distill my thoughts into anything readable, which explains this blog’s title. At heart I really am an introverted hermit, easily overwhelmed by busyness and crowds. I pray that this New Year will bring all of us the clarity and insight we need to live lives that glorify the One in whose image we are made. Happy New Year!
