That would be me….& Donald Miller who wrote Blue Like Jazz! I had the opportunity to read that particular book during a “particularly” difficult period of time in my life.
I think every new Christian goes through a time of discovery. The first part of any new relationship is that “honeymoon” phase. Everything is right in the world, you love everything, no one does any wrong! Then that relationship has to grow to the next level or it dies and doesn’t go anywhere. For months I prayed without ceasing for God to take all I had, which wasn’t much…basically the life he’d given me, and make it His. I had forgotten that growing pains could be excrutiatingly painful!!! I certainly had not imagined where this relationship would go…but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Last Friday I attended “The Million Mile Tour” and got to “listen” to the stories that had already impacted me through their books. It reminded me that God uses our “story” to inspire and encourage others. It was a good moment. I had the opportunity to meet the authors after the event and they were good people, very down to earth. Susan’s words of encouragement & hug that night were comforting…it was that common ground of understanding painful moments and I’ll be working on my grateful list just as she suggested. Donald talked a lot about our stories and what that looks like…it really made me think about my story and I’m trying to figure out how to put it down on paper.
Donald shared a story about a really dark time in his life and he says that he told God that he would never thank him for that time…yet later on he finds himself thanking God for that tragic moment in his life. He grew through that experience. I identified with that because I’m finding myself in that same moment – thanking God for “growing” pains.
As I continue down this path and I look back over the places I’ve been it makes me realize everything worked in unison to bring me to this exact moment…I have learned so much. I’m grateful for a lot of things…tonight I’m grateful for growing pains!
