Quiet times with Little Women

By Trix Wilkins

Unwind with passages from Little Women and the Bible…in a portable package 😉

As its title suggests, Literary portals to prayer: Louisa May Alcott illuminated by the Message is designed to mark the beginning of what comes next… My thanks to Susan Bailey of Louisa May Alcott is My Passion, who compiled this lovely collection of snippets from Louisa’s writings (about half are from Little Women!) alongside verses from the Bible. Here are some ways you can make the most of this refreshing book 🙂

Take as company for tea time (or a ferry or train ride)

This is a book that enables you to go as deep or as light as you like, depending on your brain and heart capacity at the time. It’s light and portable, suitable for reflection in a variety of places and times.

You can mull over it while you’re travelling. Even when you’re tired after a day at work, you can read leisurely through it, pray for a couple of people who come to mind as you read, then move on to the next page and do the same – or look out the window while thinking on what you’ve been reading.

When you have the leisure of deeper reflection, bring it with you to a high tea or coffee overlooking the ocean, go for wander in a beautiful garden or park on a bench by a beach to read, write and pray.

Make a Little Women prayer day of it

I’m very much a ‘passage in context’ person and found while I was reading this that I wanted to read the rest of what the chapter in question was about – nothing that keeping a copy of Little Women with me couldn’t fix (the other works of Louisa are also all public domain and available online for free through Project Gutenberg). I would suggest making a morning, afternoon or even a day of reading this if you’re able to, as all the passages are designed to prompt lots of prayer.

Delve deep into the Bible

The Bible passages included can be read and mused over on their own – at the same time, there’s room to go deeper and read them in context (especially if you find yourself wondering who said it and why, or if you have a preference for a particular Bible translation). I really like the Holman Christian Standard Bible (the one used in the Apologetics Bible). The Amplified Bible is a close second as it includes the different shades of meaning of the original translated word.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Record reflections and prayers

You don’t have to write in the actual book (though there is definitely space under several of the Bible passages to do so!). You can bring a journal with you or whatever method of writing you deem suitable. I found this book helpful for processing through events of the day with family, friends, work…It’s also great for recording prayer points that you want to come back to, to pray for on a regular basis, or simply to remember what you’ve prayed for and answers given.