Amish Words of Wisdom + A Giveaway!

One of the most loved books of the Bible is Proverbs. It’s full of little gold nuggets of wisdom ~ wisdom that could fill many, many books but is condensed into a handful of easy-to-remember pithy sayings.

The beauty of proverbs, or sayings, is that they tell us more about the values of those people who value those particular sayings. 

The language of the Amish is Pennsylvania German, an oral language. It does not have written words. It seems to me that this makes their cherished proverbs even more valuable since they are handed down through the generations as part of an oral tradition. This oral tradition then helps to maintain the cohesiveness of the community.

In my research on the Amish, I found a wonderful little book by Suzanne Woods Fisher ~ Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life.  

The chapters are organized by virtues and include Time, Money, Faith, In Word & Deed, Work Ethic, Handling Adversity, Education, Community, Character, and Just for Fun.

Here’s a sampling ~~~

“To stay youthful, stay useful.” (p. 20)

“One thing you can learn by watching the clock is that it passes time by keeping its hands busy.” (p. 21)

“Things that steal our time are usually the easiest to do.” (p. 25)

“The debt that is paid is best.” (p. 31)

“An industrious wife is the best savings account.” (p. 32)

“Walk softly, speak tenderly, and pray fervently.” (p. 44)

“Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet.” (p. 47)

“The right temperature at home is maintained by warm hearts, not hot heads.” (p. 60)

“An unkind remark is like a killing frost—no matter how much it warms up, the damage is already done.” (p. 67)

“The soundness of your ideas is more important than the sound of your words.” (p. 81)

“The trouble with doing nothing is it’s too hard to tell when you’re finished.” (p. 85)

“You’re never too old to learn.” (p. 108)

“If you won’t admit you’ve been wrong, you love yourself more than truth.” (p. 121)

“Apple butter, just like relationships, takes time to boil, time to cool, and time to turn out wonderfully.” (p. 122)

“Good character like good soup is usually homemade.” (p. 125)

“An honest cook serves her food with the burnt side up.” (p. 135)

There is so much wisdom in these sayings that I’ll be thinking on them for quite some time.

Let’s end today’s post with a giveaway ~ one signed copy of my September release, Amish Country Amnesia!

Leave a comment to be entered. US winners only. A winner will be chosen Friday night.

Best wishes and many blessings!

Which is your favorite proverb?

{This post is also appearing on the Love Inspired: A Story for Every Reader blog.}

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