Reckless

Oh a whim in the check-out line at Family Christian the other day, I picked up a book in the $5 "under the counter" section titled, Reckless Faith, by Beth Guckenberger.


Wow.

I started reading this book last night at 10pm and finally had to put it down, unfinished, at 1am.
This book is stunning.
This book seems to have been written for me for exactly right now.  It is inspiring.
It had me laughing and crying and dreaming and stunned.
I am still not quite finished with it, as I had a busy day solo with the kids (Jon is in the Boundary Waters portaging with some friends for the next week).  However, I had to take a moment to share some of what I read last night.

First, a bit of background on the author, Beth Guckenberger.  She and her husband have dedicated their lives to serving orphaned children.  They live in Monterrey, Mexico, where they serve with Back2Back Ministries and are raising 9 children (some bio, some foster, and some adopted).

Here are some passages which made their way straight to the center of my heart:

"A reckless faith believes when there is no evidence and hurls itself at what is unseen but promised." (p.13)

"Still, more often than not, I learn even more when He simply teaches me again and again the fundamental lesson that His ways are nothing like mine.  He is consistent but hardly predictable....Never again will I offer up an explanation that spins God as weak or passive.  If God doesn't come through in the way I want him to, it should expand my view of faith, not shrink it.  It means there is something else going on, something I can't see or understand, and I have the opportunity to be swept up in it or not." (p.42)

"How reckless can your faith actually get?  It's measured by the extent to which you really believe God's plan for you is the best.  It requires the kind of faith that believes God's words are not empty promises meant for someone else.  It's the kind of faith that says, 'Everything will work out in the end-' even if 'the end' is eternity.  Over and over again God teaches me that for those with reckless faith, the story is never over.  It's childish to throw in the towel, pout, get frustrated, or walk away.  Life isn't a puzzle that's too hard or a toy you can't figure out.  But so often, I'm tempted to lose faith when I'm confronted with a setback.  When I relax my control on the plot line of my life and give in to the journey God as prepared for me, I lose myself in all the great stories swirling around me.  When I stomp my feet and say, 'That's not fair!' or 'It wasn't supposed to happen that way!' then I run out of gas, and my spiritual journey stalls.  But God is teaching me, one child at a time, that he is the Author of life and can redeem and write any story He wants." (p.105-106)

"Is my faith reckless enough to trust first and think second?  Can I grow faith strong enough (like a muscle) that when it has to pick up a heavy reality, I can easily lift it and still have hope?  That doesn't mean I don't think about consequences and pain, but I layer those on top of faith instead of the other way around."  (p.115)

If you can, read the book.  It's unlikely you will be disappointed.