Molten Mercy

I read Shadow Of God, a depressing book about the siege of Rhodes where the Muslims won the war.

Christian Short Stories, An Anthology  edited by Mark Booth. Some of the stories were too sentimental for my taste now. I think that is the one thing that has changed about my taste. Other than that, I still read and enjoy what I read in the Fifth Grade. I'm not sure why the Outcasts Of Poker Flat was included. The Father Brown story was fun to read again. I really liked The Song Of The Min.ster by William Canton, which was scarcely a story at all, but rather a hymn of praise to God. The minister had been angry about the art being added to the church when he had a vision. A quote from the story:  As he crept back to his cell he saw with unsealed eyes how churlishly he had grudged God the glory of man's genius and the service of His dumb creatures, the metal of the hills, and the stone of the quarry, and the timber of the forest; for now he knew that at all seasons, and whether men heard the music or not, the ear of God was filled by day and by night with an everlasting song from each stone of the vast Minster.       It was good for me to read again The Artificial Nigger by Flannery O'Conner. I first read it in my twenties and could not for the life of me understand why this ugly story about ugly, ignorant people was a good Christian story. This time I got it! All we can bring to God is our ugliness and ignorance, and He gives us grace. If we bring Him our pride, He can give us nothing.
 The story reminded me how at one time I thought I wasn't too bad a person (looking back now, I'm appalled). But raising a handicapped child taught me thoroughly that I am indeed a sinner and need God's mercy.