Boyhood Memories and Lessons: A Series of Inspirational Autobiographical Sketches

By Isaiah Reid

If you had to sum up the influence of your childhood in a single adage, what would it be? For author Isaiah Reid, who lived from 1836-1911, it was the Persian proverb which says, "To know the plant, you must know the spot where it grows."That "spot" for him must have been an amazing place! The little backwoods, log-cabin community of Walnut Ridge, Indiana, produced a minister, itinerant evangelist, author, publisher, editor, interdenominational leader, organizational genius, columnist, college professor, and college president, all in one man -- Isaiah Reid.Reid's interdenominational popularity, prairie practicality, homespun wisdom, reflective temperament, boundless energy, love of nature, powers of observation, and sold-out commitment to Jesus Christ all contributed to the unique flavor of Reid's fruitful life and his spiritual leadership.But that fruitful, colorful life first grew in the wilderness of Walnut Ridge for fourteen years. In his late sixties, Isaiah Reid looked back on how his unique Covenanter childhood in Indiana had shaped him. Baring his heart to his national weekly readership, he mused on the experiences and influences that, he said, "were poured liquid into the molds which fixed the cast of my future life." This series of thirteen reflections became a story Reid called simply Boyhood Memories and Lessons.With a twinkle in his eye, Reid paints imaginative, expressive vignettes, such as seeking mental escape from the drill of boring memorization of the catechism; worshiping with his backwoods church outdoors in the "forest temple" of the leafy canopy; processing the shocking death of a little sister; and the deep influences of loving family members, unique neighbors, and even an eccentric "uncle."The joy and sense of wonder at how profoundly our childhood experiences influence our lives and who we become is apparent in these words from Reid himself: "My innocent school-day life is full of joy-bearing fruit, and all the early boyhood days around the old home. Memory building goes on surely, quietly, it may be, but out of it the coming days and coming eternity are to reap according to the sowing.... full of joy and gladness."This compilation, which includes rare, never-before-seen Reid family photos, is researched, compiled, edited, and annotated by Jim Kerwin, Reid's biographer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1091670994
• ISBN13: 9781091670990
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 123 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 6.0"