Shattered Dreams, great read

Throughout the winter, one of my favorite things to do is sit in a book store and read. Its a cost effective way to read books, I guess. I just figure I'll give myself a chance to really like it, and if I want to buy it then I can. If I bought every book I wanted, I'm certain I'd be on the streets. I love to read.

I had been reading Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb and about two pages in, I realized I wanted to buy it. My life has been marked by several shattered dreams, so I was curious. For some reason though, I still enjoyed reading it at the book store for a little while before making the big 10 dollar purchase. I know I know, I'm a big spender.

That was February. I didn't have a lot of free time to sit down and read, so the book sort of got put on hold.

March happened, which means that my back happened, and I wasn't going to East Asia for spring break, pretty much at the last minute. All of the sudden, I was living out a shattered dream.

I was laid up in a bed for about two weeks doing a whole lot of nothing. I had 5 options. Phone, computer, tv, visitors, and read. If I talked on the phone, everyone wanted to know the situation (not a bad thing, but I felt like a broken record), I work on the computer all the time, so it was a nice break to not HAVE to be on it. I've never liked TV expect espn and friends, and even that gets old. It was spring break, so everyone was leaving. That left me with reading. Shattered Dreams was literally on my nightstand.

Crabb has a way of saying things that totally make sense yet I've never been able to express. I felt uncomfortable most of the time I was reading it. Not a bad condemning uncomfortable, a raw real uncomfortable that you know is true. Its rare for a book to do that.

So I read a little over half the book--reading and rereading chapters because they struck me. Then D came and reading was farther on my list and SD gathered dust. The semester finished out with me trying to stay above water it felt like sometimes, but I made it!

The last week I was to be on campus, I ended up leaving to be with family after a death in the family. I hurt. Spring 09 isn't a time that I think I'll remember as great joy. Its been a painful season. I returned to Tuscaloosa in late May and found my book sitting there. What better time to finish it. So I just did.

The last week or so I've been reading and rereading again. Have you ever finished a book and been disappointed your done with it. Thats sort of how I feel.

Regardless of where you're at in your life, I'd recommend this one. People experience Shattered Dreams all the time and sometimes its your that has the shattering dream. We have done a horrible disservice to the Christian faith to just assume shattered dreams as such a bad thing. They hurt and cause discomfort, YES! But they also draw us to the throne of grace.

Crabb writes "with pain-killing drugs, more accessible counseling, and support groups in churches that focus on the healing power of Jesus (usually interpreted as His power to make our lives more comfortable), we've grown increasingly impatient with suffering. Suffering is a bad thing that should be minimized or eliminated. We're more willing that ever before to admit we're hurting, but we're more insistent that someone make things better. A good friend would do just that"

Our world, society, and faith (sadly) has come to demand a fix to our problems. Its the gospel of prosperity and it couldn't be farther from the gospel of truth. Its my hope that as a result of reading this book, my view on shattered dreams both in my life and in others, will be different. That I will experience that presence and encounter with Jesus instead of hope for a quick fix.

Crabbs next words are "But God insists that in our suffering He is doing us good, a greater good than relieving our suffering. He never stops doing us good" I guess we are just blind to His goodness.

May you be met in each shattered dream. Blessings.