Hungry For Words

I'm the kind of reader who picks up a book and intentionally reads for about a week or so only to slowly let the book sit on my nightstand with the hope that one day I may finally finish it. This time, it was different. This time, I didn't let it hit my nightstand because I read the entire thing during my 5 hour flight from Charlotte to California. This time I read When We Were on Fire by Addie Zierman.

This isn't to say that I NEVER finish the books I am hungry to read, I'm just saying its been a long time since I've read a book that has left me feeling full and satisfied. The raw veracity about the world of a Christian culture in this book was refreshing, rejuvenating and most importantly, relevant. 

Through Addie's story, I was able to peek into the world of growing up Christian and follow her as her heart and her faith were tested by obstacles that many of us face throughout our lifetime. Where she strove to fit into Christian "norms" in her youth, I strove to stay away, constantly questioning my faith and the idea of Creationism as the foundation of our existence. Where she began to question the intensity of her faith as she grew into adulthood, I began to wonder if I needed something more than science to fill the void I felt in my heart.

Although our journey to find faith are somewhat contrary to one another, I found our stories to converge on the idea that faith is not a straight line from point A to point B, but requires detours and pit stops; pitfalls and triumphs. Through her story and mine, I have felt the strain of doubt, the frustration from unanswered questions and the power of grace that allows us to come out of the darkest corners in our lives. I won't say more about this book, because honestly, I think you should read it. Christian or not, there are things in life we can all relate to.

"Yes, faith is like being born again. But it is also not like being born again. Unlike the newborn infant, the new Christian has memory, memory that spans back into the darkness from which he came. He is not so much born as waking...every moment to new realities. To a new way of looking at humanity. To grace and to peace and to love. It is not Before and After, a clean split, dark and light. It is a gradual illumination, fireflies moving slowly toward you, softening the edge of darkness so that you can see the beautiful mystery around you."