More of the good stuff that is this book

This latest chunk that I have read has been addressing the idea that many worry because often times God seems very unpredictable in what he does, when he does it, and how he does it. The book very aptly states that through this confusion, many of us abandon the idea of being involved in some great story and purpose because we have no idea of what God is up to, what is going on with our lives, and how we are supposed to fit into this great big story. I totally related to the author when he began to describe how often times we try to remedy this confusion by writing our own stories for ourselves. These stories are under our control, we don't have to wait on anyone to hopefully save us, we just self-administer cheap fulfillment and call it a day. I was shocked at how bluntly the book called out how so many of us do this very thing in our own Christian walks. We try to package everything neatly and make God more predictable by deciding that if things are going wrong, then we just need to do more work for Him to make Him happy again. I think that the book is accurate in calling this mentality similar to idol worship; taking the feelings and unpredictability of a living God out and stuffing a mathematical solution of service and reward in its place.

One things that was a big wake up call for me was when the author challenged us to stop viewing God as the Author, cold and manipulating, and to begin to see him as a feeling, living character. The chapter leading up to this began to show the confusion and hurt that we find ourselves in when we embrace the viewpoint that God is just the one pulling the strings and sometimes doesn't pull the string that we are really wanting/needing him to. I'll be honest and say that even reading about this view in a hypothetical scenario made me start to feel doubtful and despairing. Seeing Him as the hero of the story was liberating, it brought so many things out of confusion and into it's proper light. In addition to this, it allowed me to really engage with God's motives, desires and feelings; things that I occasionally forget that He has.

Excited to learn more!

-Dylan