Last night I finished reading a book that many people have probably already read. Of all the books I've read the last year (and that's quite a few!), this has probably been one of the best, and one that I'll keep.
Some of her reasonings/rationales reminded me so much of GO Conferences and prayer meetings with missions students while I was in college. (Why should dogs in America have better food and health care than people in other countries?, etc) I was challenged by her constant use of Scripture and depth in the Word for not just her theology but also her day-to-day problems. And I was very thankful when she finally mentioned the hardness of it all. I was starting to think she was either very idealistic or was blissfully ignoring the reality of life.
There are two passages that I actually wrote down the page numbers so I could go back and re-read later. The last one dealt with one of her younger girls who suddenly decided she didn't like to take a bath. (It reminded me very much of another young girl that I adore.) Here's the excerpt:
Just the very parallel: a child not wanting to take a bath even though in a dirty place it's a necessity for staying healthy, fighting her Mom every step of the way, and then ultimately crying when she's taken out of the water...that is such a perfect portrait of my walk with Christ.
There aren't many "preachy" books that keep my interest very long. This one did. It was good enough that I interrupted Bobby several times to read excerpt to him. I will admit that reading parts of this book were very difficult. It's not exactly easy to read about suffering children and adoption when God has so clearly closed the door in that area. But as I've been reminded over and over and over this last month (from so many different directions!): God is sovereign.
There's not a whole lot of books I'll read more than once. This book will definitely make the list.
Some of her reasonings/rationales reminded me so much of GO Conferences and prayer meetings with missions students while I was in college. (Why should dogs in America have better food and health care than people in other countries?, etc) I was challenged by her constant use of Scripture and depth in the Word for not just her theology but also her day-to-day problems. And I was very thankful when she finally mentioned the hardness of it all. I was starting to think she was either very idealistic or was blissfully ignoring the reality of life.
There are two passages that I actually wrote down the page numbers so I could go back and re-read later. The last one dealt with one of her younger girls who suddenly decided she didn't like to take a bath. (It reminded me very much of another young girl that I adore.) Here's the excerpt:
The bath time struggle never is about the bath at all. It is about obedience. Grace is three years old and she simply does not want to obey. She thinks she should be the one to decide whether she gets in the tub or not...I shudder to think what I could have missed in life because o fmy disobedience. I am so thankful God in His grace does not allow me to win. It is not about the bathtub. It is about me, trying to figure out just how much control I have over my little life...So God picks me up, exhausted from struggling, and plops me in the center of His will fo rmy life. And then a funny thing happens. As I kick and scream and struggle, I remember: I like being in the center of God's will for my life. God's plan is usually pretty great. It is a whole lot better than mine, anyway. I am so glad that He does not allow me to win.
Just the very parallel: a child not wanting to take a bath even though in a dirty place it's a necessity for staying healthy, fighting her Mom every step of the way, and then ultimately crying when she's taken out of the water...that is such a perfect portrait of my walk with Christ.
There aren't many "preachy" books that keep my interest very long. This one did. It was good enough that I interrupted Bobby several times to read excerpt to him. I will admit that reading parts of this book were very difficult. It's not exactly easy to read about suffering children and adoption when God has so clearly closed the door in that area. But as I've been reminded over and over and over this last month (from so many different directions!): God is sovereign.
There's not a whole lot of books I'll read more than once. This book will definitely make the list.
Comments