I rarely finish books. I start a lot of them, but actually finishing them is another story. I am pleased to announce that I have successfully read, cover to cover, three books by Donald Miller. First, Blue Like Jazz. Second, Through Painted Deserts. And third, Searching For God Knows What. Donald Miller, you must write good books. :)
He really gets to the heart of the matter, and I love it. Everything, especially in Searching For God Knows What, are ideas and theories I feel I've been on the verge of...but he expressed them so clearly as to enlighten me on things I haven't yet thought. I'm stuck on this idea of Original Thought (which has nothing to do with Donald Miller)...Have I ever had a truly original thought? I mean really? Have I thought a thought that no one has ever thought before EVER in the history of the world? That would be fantastic if I someday do, or if I already have, but it's not on my top ten list of things to pursue this year. Yet. :)
I've written this before, but this is such a waiting time for me. My whole life I've been busy, busy, busy and this past winter has been Quiet. At this time last year I was planning my wedding, getting ready to graduate from college, working 35 hours a week, and had an hour long commute. Such a different time from right now. I think I've embraced this time of rest...because I know it's sure not going to last forever, and this time is fleeting. But at the same time, I think all people long to pour out and be poured in to, and to have day to day goals. The only thing I HAVE to do every week is go to work, and I only put an average of 25 hours toward that. All of my goals are far in the future, and any plans I make now will have to end by mid-June (which is when we pick up and move to St. Louis). I guess I just don't know how to wait patiently. And I'm not very good at being quiet. That sounds funny, but I'm truly not. There are times that I choose to be quiet...quiet times with the Lord, quiet walks in the woods, quiet sleeping...but being quiet for so long is something that I've struggled for. But maybe being Quiet and Resting aren't the same thing? I have so many ideas and so many dreams that I can't WAIT to pursue, and some of those are in St. Louis, and many are not...so this has also been a Planning time for me, as well as a time for rest. It's a time for dreaming and proposing ideas.
There is a time for every purpose under Heaven. This much I know to be true. :)
Aww-- the quiet-- I have had much of that here too. And I think our world bombards us w/ always being entertained, it is hard for us to be quiet and to rest. We don't really know how... but the value in it is inexpressible! And scary. Because quiet allows your thoughts to rise up. And quiet is sometimes uncomfortable b/c there's no sound, or TV, or Facebook, or planning for dreams to hide behind... its just the raw present. And I don't know what to do w/ that sometimes.
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