I have recently decided that I need a whole lot of clear wall space to hang pictures on. No, I haven’t suddenly gotten motivated to go through my boxes of family photos. I’ve simply gotten out one of my favorite books again. My Dear Sisters by Gordon B. Hinckley is a little different from most of the books I talk about here. It’s what I would refer to as a coffee table book, and a book of inspirational thoughts. It’s simple, straight forward and very short. Perfect for those of us who are easily distracted or interrupted.
You can read the entire book straight through in the amount of time it would take to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; but, it will take you months, even years to fully absorb its messages. Working to absorb the messages has been my quest of late. My Dear Sisters is a beautiful book, both in message and appearance. I like to pull it out when my spirit needs a simple lift. You can open to just about any page and find something your heart needs to hear coupled with an elegant illustration that speaks volumes of its own. I love these few quiet moments when I leaf through its pages, but I’ve decided I need something more.
Here’s my plan. I’d like to have multiple copies of My Dear Sisters that I can cut apart. Don’t panic, I know that sounds like sacrilege to some of you, but hear me out. I’d like to take all of those pages and couple them in matted frames for two pictures. I’d like to take those beautiful illustrations and their accompanying devotionals and hang them on my wall. I’d like to walk down a hall or around a room and find myself surrounded by President Hinckley, and my Father in Heaven’s love for me. I can think of no better way to create a sacred space for myself. I want a place that speaks to my heart and the nature of who I am and want to be. This book does that for me, but it’s a little hard to keep it propped open somewhere to just the right page for the day or week.
There are some messages that repeat themselves, with a slightly different angle, and I sometimes think they might have put the book together in an order where the “themes” all appear in the same place. Then again, there are just as many times when I’m glad they don’t appear quite so sequentially. I like the randomness of just wandering through its pages “talking” with the prophet and his dear wife about whatever strikes our fancy and interest. My Dear Sisters is that kind of experience. I think the cover depicts its quality and potential perfectly. It reminds me of quiet moments when I’ve been able to wander in a favorite garden. It carries a peace and aroma of love that permeate your every cell and fiber. Then sometimes, every once in a while, you stop to take a closer look at a particular blossom, petal or pattern. You feel the textures under your fingers and pick out that one particular scent from all the rest, then straighten back up filled with joy for just being alive and realizing how many beautiful gifts Heavenly Father has given each us. Reading My Dear Sisters is walking through a garden of blessing that Heavenly Father reserves just for His daughters. Each time you walk through its pages, you’ll likely stop to appreciate a different blossom of inspiration, but it will always be the message Heavenly Father most needs you to hear at that time.
So, I’ve decided I want to literally walk through the pages. I want them to catch my eye as I move about my home. I want them to become so second nature that they become part of my thoughts as I wake and part of my dreams as I sleep. Do you think there is a wall big enough in my home to hang all these pictures on? Would it work if I just kept one frame by my desk and changed out the picture and message as I needed? Well, maybe not, but my walls might thank me for it.
Does My Dear Sisters come in screen saver form?
Return to the Neighborhood
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