The book you don't want to read but will love when you do … {Giveaway}
It was last minute when I thoughtlessly grabbed the book. We were headed out the door for our anniversary weekend, and I realized I’d forgotten to pack a book.
Honestly, I had been feeling a little lethargic in the reading-department, as none of my summer reads had gripped my attention. I had stared at the stack of books by my bed, like a woman standing in front of her full closet and lamenting, “I have nothing to wear!” I stood there feeling uninspired and inwardly lamented, “I have nothing to read!”
But, Thou shalt not leave on a weekend away, sans children, without a book!
And there it sat.
It had landed on my doorstep, literally. Touching Godliness by KP Yohannan. Sent from Gospel for Asia, for me to review. So, as we were zipping out the door, I tossed the book in my purse.
As we made the long trek over the mountain, Jeff and I talked, prayed, reminisced, dreamed a little about the future. But I couldn’t shake the vague aimless feeling settled like a heavy fog on my heart. It’s true, I was happily married. I did love my family. I did love God and want to serve Him. But something felt missing. Off a bit. We were already giving away money, we were living in community, we were spending time in the Word and prayer. I shrugged it off and stared out the window.
Upon arriving in Bend, we packed a picnic lunch and headed to the river to swim. Leaning back in low lawn chairs, we rested our feet in the icy cold water, welcome refreshment in the 90-degree heat. I opened my Bible to Psalm 42:
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
Yes. That’s it. That’s how I felt. Thirsty for God but not sure how to find more of Him. By praying more? Fasting? Giving more money away? What? So after reading several psalms, I pulled out Touching Godliness.
Shame on me, but I wasn’t expecting much.
Another book on becoming godly? Awesome.
By KP Yohannan? Let me guess: Give your money away and stop being a selfish American. Awesome. I get it.
Boy was I surprised.
I’m half-tempted not to tell you what the book is about, because if I tell you I’m afraid you won’t read it. It’s no wonder he has a vague title, no subtitle, and a bare-bones description on the back cover. KP is no fool. But It’s not fair to call this a book review unless I tell you something about it:
It’s about submission.
There. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s good. Really good. Really stinkin’ good and I devoured this book like nobody’s business and by lunch on Saturday I’d read the whole thing and silent tears had streaked down my cheek, under the sunglasses. I’d gazed blurry-eyed up at the clouds and prayed short, desperate prayers: “Lord, help me. Do this in me.”
Here are a few snippets:
“In the measure by which we open our life to Christ and bend our necks to the yoke, dying daily to our self-centeredness, independence, pride, and reasoning, and instead depend on God, in the same measure we will manifest His nature in our lives” (p. 72).
“I know many who follow the Lord and work hard, sacrifice much and go to the ends of the world. But the question remains for us all: Is it out of pride and self-assertion?” (p. 81)
(Of submission to leaders) “When our pastors speak into our lives, their words should not be taken lightly. If we listen to them and heed their warnings, our lives will be blessed. Obey them and be submissive. Don’t fall prey to the attitude of the modern church, which has lost the fear of God and His shepherds” (p. 110).
“What does it look like to respect your husband? …Around the globe, to correct your husband, especially in front of others, is disrespectful to him. Listening to and taking seriously his counsel shows respect. When others are present, not giving your husband any room in the conversation and being the one to answer every question that gets asked is disrespectful.” (p.114)
“When Jesus described Himself, the words He chose were “gentle and humble.” We, as his delegated authority, can only rightly represent Him if we too are humble.” (p. 184)
As I re-read these quotes I realize I’m not doing the book justice. So, I’d sum it all by saying this:
If you feel stuck somehow in your Christian life, like you are doing all that you know to do and still feel frustrated, distant, or unsettled; If you feel there is still some barrier between you and God, or you feel strained in your close relationships, if you feel like you aren’t quite where you wish you were in your relationship with Jesus … read this book.
You might not want to read it, but you’ll love it when you do.
{And…because I’d really love you to read this book, leave me a comment and we’ll pick one fabulous winner to receive a FREE copy! When you read the book the graphic below will come to life … Thank you so much for reading.}
My Mom-cation
I’m experiencing summer’s equivalent of being snowed in, which is infinitely better than its cold-weather counterpart. This past winter we experienced the snow-storm of a century, with nearly 2 1/2 feet of snow piled up on our back deck for almost a week. Dutch’s birthday, Christmas Eve, and Christmas plans were all subject to the daily drifts of snow, the dangerously deep icy trenches on the roads, the cancelled flights. And while it certainly demanded our flexibility and required us to let go of our plans and cherished traditions (no clam chowder at Uncle Tom’s on Christmas Eve), it forced us to make new ones and allowed us some sweet impromptu parties that wouldn’t have otherwise happened (hiking through the snow to the Baileys house for Sunday morning waffles in leiu of church). The conditions made everything an adventure. Inconvenient perhaps, but memories are made of such stuff. I loved it.
So this week, when temperatures have soared to record highs (my parents’ thermometer registered 109.6 today), and our apartment turned into a virtual sauna, I opted for an escape. I had been stubborn, insisting our apartment (without a/c) would be fine. But Tuesday morning, after a long, sweaty, sleepless night, I started to cave. Then I went into the closet (yes, Heidi still sleeps there) and found her drenched in sweat (poor baby), I decided enough was enough. I tossed our bathing suits, sunblock, women’s ministry materials and a novel I’ve been longing to read into the car and set out for the soothing sound (and air-conditioned interior) of Riversong.
Though I do have meetings and commitments peppering my week, I was able to spend all of today here without interruption. No phone calls (except a long and delightful catch-up conversation with my out-of-state brother which refreshed my soul), only a few quick necessary emails, and a whole day stretched before me with nothing but my Bible and my delicious novel. My novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society had been sitting on my nightstand, tucked under my Parenting Isn’t for Cowards book like a tiny morsel of chocolate hidden in the back of the cupboard, waiting for just the right indulgent moment. Today was my moment.
The kids were, of course, thrilled to play with Papa and Oma all day. Oma read books, Papa played trucks, and both gladly bounced Heidi and played peek-a-boo while I lounged, without a trace of guilt, by the pool, swimming cool refreshing laps during the few moments when I could stand to put down my book. I just finished the final page (Dawsey!), and sat savoring.
While I love to travel, for a mom of small children this is to me the finest idea of vacation on earth. My children are cool, safe, happy, and getting their regular naps. I have privacy, pool, air-conditioning, and the freedom to lounge in my bathing suit with unwashed hair and without a trace of makeup. A mom-cation at its best. I swear somehow in 24 hours my skin has improved, my mind has cleared, and the world seems to revolve less around our little suburbian hill we call home. Perhaps reading a story of beauty in the midst of concentration camps and war-time brutality gives one a little broader perspective. All I know is that I love to read. And a well-timed Mom-cation is balm for the soul. And fiction, stories, are some of the most powerful things on earth. Stories give hope, life, breath. Read! Oh, and I’m starting a book club. 🙂 More on that to come… I have a few more hours of Mom-cation to enjoy.