On the Nightstand: Be the Gift

I had lunch recently with a friend, and as usual, my mind wandered off to all the things I had to get done that afternoon. Then she asked with a bright smile, “Have you prayed yet today? Can we pray together now?” Wham! And so we did, for about an hour, going through the day’s readings and a couple of meditations along with some personal sharing. What I’m remembering about that day is not how much I got done, but how holy that time was.
Thinking of that led me to Ann Voskamp’s Be the Gift: Let Your Broken Be Turned into Abundance, which will be my spiritual reading this month. It’s about the way we bless others regardless of how broken we are. My friend’s invitation was one of the greatest gifts I received last month, and it cost her nothing but time and the bravery to ask me to slow down. I’m hoping Voskamp’s book will help me to remember to offer that gift to others.
What’s on your nightstand?

By Melanie

Melanie Rigney is the author of Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century and other Catholic books. She is a contributor to Living Faith and other Catholic blogs. She lives in Arlington, Virginia. Melanie also owns Editor for You, a publishing consultancy that since 2003 has helped hundreds of writers, publishers, and agents.

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