Ann dives right in, to what has shaped her and brought her to this place with God, to this search for grace and fullness in life. What stuck out at you? Any quotes for your facebook page or refrigerator?
Do you identify with the "holes" she describes in the canvas of your own life?
What do you think of the story of your life? Would you write it differently? Why or why not?
What about our sight? Our ability to see the goodness of God?
Would you choose, or do you choose the manna? Do you accept the mystery of God and eat it, so it can fill and fulfill you?
Let the discussion begin! Post your comments, thoughts, insights, questions, etc... Please be thoughtful when responding to someone's post. Enjoy the journey!
I like when she is talking about her brother in law, John, at the passing of his second son and he says "I don't know why it all happend." "But do I have to?" So many times we ask "why". Why did it happen, why is it this way, why is God doing this? But really, does it matter why? That sentence alone stuck out to me, because I'm the worst at asking "why" and wanting to know why, but.....does it really matter?
ReplyDeleteI praise God for the life he has given me, hard times and all. I think if I had a chance to rewrite it, it'd be a much worse outcome for sure! Just like her brother in law said "you don't know what a different ending holds".
I too have often thought about wishing my own will on life instead of accepting God's. I like to be in control and I like to think what I want is best. Relinquishing control (wish I don't really have anyway) and accepting God's good and perfect will (which often does not seem good or perfect) is hard. What I sometimes forget, is that in making a fine piece of art, the dark colors are what give a work depth of character. A painting in all bright yellow is not as interesting as one that contains browns in contrast.
ReplyDeleteThis was shared on an earlier post: "I enjoyed the narrative and how open and honest the author is about thought that are not perfect. So many times we don't know what to do with "weak thoughts" because we see all our mentors and authors as never having those kind of thoughts. But I did have one problem with the scripture they used. Anyone that knows me (which is pretty much no one on here) knows that I am a stickler for proper interpretation and I have a problem with people using scripture to suit their need rather than the true meaning of that scripture WHEN it was written. She quotes 1Corinthians 2:7 from the NEB version. If you look that passage up in a reliable translation such as NASB, and you read vs 6 and 8 along with it, there is no way it should have been translated like that. The entire passage is about bringing Glory to God's Wisdom. No way it is about us. They interpret that as "to bring US to OUR full glory" putting the emphasis on US rather than God's Wisdom. The thoughts that the author takes from that scripture may be true in that this may very well be what God wants for us, but I just was bothered that it came from a mid-translated verse."
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts on this verse or the author's use of it here?
I'm right there with you, frustrated when scripture is used to make a point instead of taken within context. Though the debate on translations may be better served in another format, I would like to discuss the author's use of this particular verse.
DeleteI am not convinced this was the best verse to use, but I don't feel the Ann was making it about us. I take the author's writing to say that God intends to restore us to who He created us to be, to heal the holes so that we may be restored to who He created us to be and filled with God's glory.
I finally finished reading the chapter since I have a little extra time here at work today. Honestly, in the past few years I have been finding it very hard for me to fully express myself, so my thoughts might be pretty jumbled and not make a lot of sense with the content of the book.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm the only person here who knows each person who is discussing...And you all know that the last few years of my life have been less than "rainbows and unicorns." LOL! I completely understand the numbness that can accompany the lies of "God is not good" and "God doesn't love me" that we come to believe. I know that my problems are no better or worse than anyone else's, but there have certainly been times when I have been burning angry with God. And I finally came to a place where I was okay with being in that place. God wants us to come to Him just as we are. That was the only thing that brought me peace. When I thought about how my anger was sinful and unpleasing to God, that just made things worse. I found my peace in my anger. I'm sure that sounds really strange, but I'm convinced that God led me to such peace.
This chapter was hard for me to read. I can relate to so much of what she said. I haven't experienced a lot of death in my life, but I have experienced a lot of losses in other ways...Loss of dreams, loss of wishes, loss of health, etc.
I loved how she uses Biblical references to make things relevant...Such as the manna was a "mystery" to the Israelites, yet they ate it anyway because it was from God. In the same way, we should accept our mysteries because they are from the One who created us and love us so. Even though they may not seem to be at the time, those mysteries are "like wafers of honey." Another one was how she referred to the eating of the fruit in the garden as the time when we started to become ungrateful. It makes a lot of sense...That was the moment our eyes became open to "our own nakedness," but also to things and people around us. Of course, that was the moment that sin entered our lives, so why wouldn't the sin of ungratefulness tag along as well. :)
I would have to agree that I don't like Scripture being taken out of context either, but I didn't read it as the author meaning that God would bring us to our OWN GLORY. I believe that the author was stating that God would reveal HIS GLORY through us. After all, Sharon is right...It IS all about God and never about us. Although, I must say...I've never heard of the NEB translation.
Sarah, I checked it out with Nate and he said that it is considered a "soft translation" by Bible scholars. I haven't heard of it either.
ReplyDelete