Saturday, July 08, 2006

Book Rant: Traveling Light by Max Lucado

It’s been a while since my last Book Rant not because it takes me 2 months to read a book but because the last 2 books I’ve read have been for work and covered the mind-numbing topic of neurological sleeping disorders and their impact on psychiatric therapy.

It would have been too hard to write a review that wouldn’t be as boring as actually reading the books themselves!

But since Max Lucado’s books offer much better blog fodder, allow me to introduce to you Traveling Light.

First, let me give props to Kelly since she was the one who told me this book was a “must-read”. I agree because Lucado uses Psalm 23 to make the point that God does not intend for us to carry burdens.

And for me, that’s the biggest A-ha! of this book. Ever since I first read Psalm 23 I have never quite understood its point. Yeah, its great poetry but “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want”? I shall not want what? My shepard?

“Your rod and staff comfort me.” Comfort sounds good – but wouldn’t you rather use a nice cushy couch with comfy pillows? Why use sticks?

A table prepared by God just for me can’t be bad. But in the presence of my enemies? Who invited them?

Traveling Light teaches you how David’s word art in the 23rd Psalm paints a beautiful picture of God 's plans to lift our burdens of weariness, discontent, hopelessness, worry, guilt, fear and doubt – just to name a few!

Here are a few of my favorite lines from the book:

Pg. 48 – “The biblical word for worry (mesimnao) is a compound of two Greek words, merizo (“to divide”) and nous (“the mind”). Anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems.”

Pg. 52 – “God promises a lamp unto our feet not a crystal ball into the future.”

Pg. 76 – “Celebrate the significance of others. In humility, consider others better than yourself.”

Pg. 90 – “More than a baby died – a dream died.” (Just when I thought I had moved beyond our miscarriage I read these words then suddenly everybody in Pei Wei is wondering why the guy reading a book is so upset.)

Buy it! Read it! Leave your baggage behind!

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