The Practice of the Presence of Jesus

The Practice of the Presence of Jesus, by Joni Eareckson Tada

37/60 | Started 04.14.23 • Finished 08.10.23 | 4 stars

Having never read anything by Joni Earackson Tada, and also having never heard of Brother Lawrence, I was curious about this one when it popped up on NetGalley. While I didn't get to dwell in it daily like one would normally do with a devotional, I was still able to appreciate what Tada has collected here, and to resonate with several of the entries.

The path to heaven is much like the path to Calvary - mostly uphill, filled with danger, and stained with blood.... If I wanted to be like Jesus, I must bear a cross. I can't have Jesus without a cross. But it's not a one-size-fits-all cross that's generic to all; it is a cross specific to me. My cross. It's honed by God and heavy enough to ensure that I'll require his help every step of the way (it wouldn't be a cross if it were easily borne). So when I daily pick up my cross, I "die to the sins that Christ died for on his cross." I die to complaining, fears of the future, comparing my lot with others, and coddling doubts about God's character. My cross cuts at and carves away sin; it wounds me and finally perfects in me the glorious image of my Savior. It's why the presence of Jesus is my dearest companion on the road to heaven. I love to fix my eyes on him who, for the joy set before him, endured his cross and sat down at the right hand of God's throne.

Frankly, I didn't connect with everything that Tada had to say. Sometimes I found it in the contemplative realm, which I find to be a little squishy at times. I also didn't always grasp how her reflections fit in with the passage from Brother Lawrence she quoted. Finally, I felt like the meditation line at the end of each entry mostly fell flat. To me, it either didn't fit with what I'd just read, or it was too simplistic for what I'd just read.

A syrupy picture of Jesus requires nothing from us; a nostalgic idea of him requires no conviction or commitment. It lacks power because it lacks truth. So for a moment, brush aside the birds and the lilies, and consider the facts: A dead man walked out of his grave.

All together, I found this to be a fairly solid devotional. I would prefer one that focuses on a verse or two (or several) before a quote from another saint, but that doesn't mean that this one came without references. Tada incorporates a lot of scripture in her reflections. If you've enjoyed Tada before, you'd probably be all over this one. I would probably choose something else, but I still found this to be commendable.

Sea of Tranquility

Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel

36/60 | Started 08.02.23 • Finished 08.08.23 | 4 stars

This is another one I've been waiting on for a while. I only somewhat recently found out that it's kind of a sequel to The Glass Hotel, so I had to wait on that one and then read it before picking this one up. The Glass Hotel is the back story to some of the characters in this one, but it's definitely possible for it to stand alone.

It is a completely different book.

“The truth is,” Olive said, behind a lectern in Paris, “even now, all these centuries later, for all our technological advances, all our scientific knowledge of illness, we still don’t always know why one person gets sick and another doesn’t, or why one patient survives and another dies. Illness frightens us because it’s chaotic. There’s an awful randomness about it.”

I was not expecting a book about history, time travel, and pandemics. Sea of Tranquility takes place years after The Glass Hotel ends - so much so that now humans are living in glorified space domes on the moon. And there's also a super-secret time travel agency which is actually in operation to prevent people from going back and changing the course of history. And one man decides to break the rules during his inaugural mission.

This is difficult to admit, but in those early weeks we were vague about our fears because saying the word pandemic might bend the pandemic toward us.

And in it all is a pandemic! So much of this hit home, of course - the isolation, the uncertainty, the incredulity. I think Mandel capture it quite well. Despite not being at all like I thought it would be, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to the right person. Good characters, solid writing, great arc. 4 stars.

Loneliness wasn’t a strong enough word for it.

All Who Are Weary

All Who Are Weary, by Sarah J. Hauser

35/60 | Started 05.21.23 • Finished 08.03.23 | 5 stars

This one right here is one of the best I've read all year. I took a while to read it as I was doing it for a summer book club my church was putting on, and I'm almost glad I had to slow down and read it and sit with parts of it at a time. This is a book I needed a few years ago, but as I've told people about it, I wonder if maybe I just wasn't ready for it. I'm so glad it's out there in the world now, and I already bought an extra copy to hand to the first person that comes to mind.

The truth is that there is no lighter burden than what Christ gives us. Even so, we heap weight after weight upon our backs—burdens we were never meant to carry. And we’re exhausted because of it. It’s time to take those off.... There is no easier burden, no lighter yoke, than to be able to walk through life fully assured of the truth of who God is, what He says about you, and what He has called you to do.

Hauser begins by laying out the appeal of finding rest for your soul, and what exactly that means and looks like. She closes by diving into what we should be carrying instead - the easy yoke of Christ. In between, she covers 9 burdens we can carry as we go through life. These burdens are not particular to women only; however, I do know that they are ones that women tend to carry.

Worthlessness

The evil one would love us to fall for his deception. He wants nothing more than to leave us wallowing in our misery, paralyzed by this burden of worthlessness.

Condemnation

On that day, Christ didn’t dismiss the accusations as baseless but took all that condemnation upon Himself. No matter our past, no matter our faults, no matter our mistakes, He took all of them to the cross. It really is finished! And there is nothing you or I could do to undo the work of our Savior.

Worry

Sometimes we get so focused on what we can see that we lose sight of the hope we have in what is unseen. We forget we serve the same God who parted the Red Sea and provided manna from heaven. He’s our Creator and Sustainer, the one who calmed storms and raised the dead. If he has that kind of power, then “is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen 18:14). Our need to feel safe is real and good and valid, and our fears and worries alert us that something’s off. But instead of being consumed by our worries and fears, those things can nudge us to find safety in our God.

Self-sufficiency

The church should be the foremost place where we demonstrate we are not self-sufficient. The very gospel we proclaim says we cannot save ourselves—and we don’t have to. Not only do we hold on to this belief individually by confessing our need for salvation and coming to Jesus daily, but we also live it out by loving one another as Christ has loved us.

Insecurity

Beware of anyone who tells you to find yourself by only looking at yourself…. there is no wholeness, no fulfillment, no security in giving up reflecting God’s image so we can create and manage our own image instead.

Comparison

Comparing our sin sets us up for either self-righteousness or self-condemnation. We either take on the role of the Pharisee in Luke 18, believing we have earned God’s grace; or we believe we’re too far gone, our sins too big for grace ever to reach us. But grace is not given based on the merits of the recipient but because of the character of the Giver.

Perfectionism

My perfectionism may not show up in the tidiness of my kitchen or the decor on my walls, but it lurks beneath the surface of my heart and mind. Perfectionism is about control—and I like control. Perfectionists often want to make sure we appear put together. We want our kids to stay well behaved, and we’d like our relationships or reputation to align perfectly with our own ideals. We want to be in control of what other think or what happens in a given circumstance.

Insignificance

The death of Christ, His victory over sin and death, His resurrection, and His forever rule and reign make Jesus worthy of everything. If that is true, then nothing we do for the glory of God in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit is a waste.

Despair

It’s here, in this seemingly hopeless middle, that God not only hears our cries and our laments, but He even goes so far as to lean in next to us while we weep in the darkness. He puts His arm around our shoulders, presses our head against His chest. And He waits with us for the morning.

This book really is gold. If you're feeling burdened down by the weight of life - the cares of the world but also the cares of the nitty gritty, day in, day out experience - then I'd commend this one to you. It's accessible, gentle, compassionate, and packed with scripture that will point you to the best burden-bearer there is: Jesus.