Miss Stacy caught me reading "Ben Hur" in school yesterday afternoon when I should have been studying my Canadian history. Jane Andrews lent it to me. I was reading it at dinner hour, and I had just got to the chariot-race when school went in. I was simply wild to know how it turned out––although I felt sure "Ben Hur" must win, because it wouldn't be poetical justice if he didn't––so I spread my history open on my desk-lid and then tucked "Ben Hur" between the desk and my knee. It just looked as if I were studying Canadian history, you know, while all the while I was reveling in "Ben Hur." I was so interested in it. . .
Okay, so I don't put my school book in front of my pleasure book and read in secret. But often, I'm tempted to "see how the chariot race turned out," and thus use my school hours in pleasure activities. God is giving me more self control, and I feel confident that he will help me as I enter the school year. I am excited to rise to the challenge of having enough self control to prevent me from pulling homework all-nighters (something I can certainly do without). Diligence also comes into play here; if I want to do something for fun, I know I have to work hard and get my school done first.
For those of you who are still in school, I hope you have a blessed school year with a minimum amount of late night cramming and that you learn a lot. :)
-Sarah :)
P.S. Can I just say that Anne is extremely entertaining? Even if you don't take any of the self control lesson away from this excerpt, I hope you appreciate her mention of poetical justice and the seemingly necessary mention of who lent her the book. :)
i can definitely relate to this!! i'm often tempted to read pleasure books instead of doing my schoolwork. i really need God to help me with diligence this coming year!! and i agree with you that anne of green gables is a very sweet, entertaining book. ;)
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