Send Me a Girl who Reads

I think I have a slight crush on Donald Miller. Regardless of what he looks like or how old he is. I love the way he writes, his voice. It's full of description and poetry and everyday genuineness, and I love reading his books. I just finished Through Painted Deserts. It's amazing how much time I have to read now that I no longer have homework to do.

In two weeks, that will change. But for now, I'm enjoying the down time. Except for the fact that everyone in Sioux Center is realizing that I am going away to British Columbia in two weeks, and they are suddenly all inviting me to do things. Let's not kid ourselves, though; I love the busyness too.

Back to Donald Miller: I have often found that he expresses things that I have been thinking, but don't know how to say. Or his reflections let me know that I am not the only one in the world who thinks about things a certain way. When I read Don Miller's stuff, I am reminded of wonder. Wonder at God's presence, at his creation. Wonder at my own insignificance. Wonder at how a Being so big and incomprehensible limits itself to know and care about me. Don Miller reminds me why I think that having a relationship with Jesus is important.

Another author who reminds me of the beauty and excitement is Ann Kiemel (now Anderson). My mom gave me two of Ann's books at Christmas. Apparently, this lady was popular back in the 80s. She writes in a reflective, poetry/prose way, and I love it! Her reflections on life and faith and what God is doing also remind me why I want to follow Jesus. Like Ann says, I serve a BIG GOD, and he can do awesome things through me.

I have decided that reading is good for me. I easily become bogged down in the details of my life, and I can get tired and frustrated and discouraged. I feel anxious about the future, or I just fret a lot because I have a lot of questions and only time will provide the answers. When I read, I have something else to focus on. More than that, I have something that draws me into a bigger picture of life. Reading is like sharing someone else's story, and seeing how it fits with my own. When I read, I'm reminded of the kind of person I want to be, the kinds of things I want to focus on, the kinds of things I want to learn about.

In short, my advice is this: find a good book, a good author, sit down in the silence, and be inspired.