Church of the Small Things

This past week I found out that I get to be apart of Melanie Shankle's new book launch team.  I received an email, immediately jumped onto the 'secret' Facebook group, and then opened the first three chapters of her book titled, "Church of the Small Things" that we were given while we waited for our advanced copy to come in the mail.  The timing could not have been more perfect.  While I've been down in the dumps and dreading July 17th with every single part of my being I was given this small sliver of good news.  Something different.  Something to do with the day.  Something exciting to share with people.  Something to bring a bit of joy.  It was the perfect timing.

When the book came on Thursday, I opened the UPS envelope and pulled out my beautiful new copy of "Church of the Small Things."  I sat down and skimmed over the first three chapters again and then plowed through a few additional chapters.  And of course I already love it all.  I am excited to read this particular book in its entirety because the truth that comes jumping off the page at me is something I desperately need to hear.  The quote below says it all...it gives me a desire to be in the moment and love where I am; bumps, bruises, and all.

"You know what we all do when we think about our Fantasy Someday? We miss the holiness of this moment we live in right now.  There will never be another one like it.  And even if that makes you think, 'THANK GOD, BECAUSE MY LIFE CURRENTLY STINKS', there are still lessons to be learned, character to be built, and stories that will be told about where you are right now.  God takes all of it-the mundane and the ugly, the clean couch and the wine spills, the ordinary and the occasionally extraordinary-and when we allow him to add his grace, his mercy, and his outrageous love, he adds a brushstroke there and some color here and so paints it all into one glorious work of art that only he can achieve through us where we are right in that moment-in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our classrooms, in our communities and world.  No one else can live our story.  So maybe it's time to embrace all that is uniquely ours and realize that is exactly what makes it special."

"That is exactly what makes it special."

Yes.

When I think about my life I think about a lot of little things and of course one big bad thing, but all of it is my story.  I embrace it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  All of it is uniquely mine.  I am thankful for this reminder and I am thankful for the encouragement I am receiving from this book to keep on.

I am sure more updates and quotes from this new book will bring up more thoughts which I will record here.  It is the perfect place to put the positive so I can look back on the bad days and see that there is good, there is encouragement to be found.