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I have heard for a long time now that you will be the same person next year except for the books you read and the people you meet. I’m not sure who said that, and I’m not sure I completely agree with the statement, but I have to admit the quote does have some truth to it. I like what Shu has said, “Readers are leaders and leaders are readers”. It’s hard to argue with the truth of that statement.
Let me say first that I’m not a guy who just loves reading, but for the most part, I have to intentionally make myself read. Over the last several years, the practice and discipline of reading has become much easier and something I have come to enjoy more and more. I want to be a guy who is constantly learning, and one great way to learn is to read. So, as a result, I do my best to read at least one book a month.
A book I recently read that has made an impact on my life is “Wild Goose Chase”, by Mark Batterson. In fact, it was one of a few books God used as my wife and I prayed about and ultimately made the decision that God was leading us to adopt a little girl from Ethiopia. Many things stuck out to me as I read the book, but one specific thing that continued to come to mind as I read was simply, “What do you feel God calling you to do now that if you don’t do, you will regret later in life?” When I look back at my life thus far, I have had my fair share of regrets, especially regarding risks I didn’t take, times when I played it too safe. Yet, I was challenged as I read this book, that as a believer, God hasn’t called me to live a safe, comfortable, risk-free life. His desire is that I be a risk taker for Him, to not always look for the comfortable and easy way, but to trust Him and step out in faith and obedience when He calls.
The decision for us to adopt was one I wrestled with for a long time. But as I continued to go to the Word, realizing that’s God primary way of speaking to us, I asked for wisdom. As I was praying and seeking what God desired for us, I could not get away from the prompting and voice of the Spirit nudging us to step out in faith, to trust Him with this. And so, although we are uncertain of what God has in store for our family, we move forward with confidence and assurance that He has called us to adopt, specifically from an “unreached” people. No matter what may come our way, whether it be joy, whether it be pain, or likely some combination of the two, we are excited about what God has in store. We are determined as a family to strive to walk in obedience to Father, living our lives with no regrets.
As I mentioned, God’s primary way of speaking to us is His word, and that should always be the first and last place we go when we need wisdom. But, I’m so thankful for authors and books whom God also uses to challenge, stir, and inspire me. He used “Wild Goose Chase” in my life, and I expect He will use others as I take the time to read and learn from other authors.
I'm currently reading: “Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership” by Tony Morgan
Next up on my reading list: “Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters” by Tim Keller
