I was unfamiliar with the author, but because I take Michael's advice very seriously, I ordered the book.
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years:
What I Learned While Editing My Life
by Donald Miller
$19.99
Thomas Nelson Publisher
ISBN 978-0-7852-1306-2
This book caught me completely by surprise; and is now one of my top 10 books! I'm so taken by this book, I already want to reread it. I want to buy a case and pass them out to all my friends.
It's funny, profound, entertaining, thought provoking but most importantly -- life changing!
Maybe you're in a low point of your life.
Maybe not.
Maybe your life is going great with no conflicts.
Either way, this book is a must.
It's an easy, fast read that will catch you laughing out loud at the wonderful stories Don lives to tell.
What makes this one of my favorite books?
Simply - it made me look at my life in a completely different perspective and see that I have the ability to partner with God and write my own story.
"A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it." -Donald MillerWe may feel like we're a million miles and a thousand years away from being able to live what we believe is our "true story."
But whose fault is that?
We don't have a story because we are lazy. We don't want to turn off the TV, get off the couch, and put away the Cheetos.
We don't see that God is allowing our character (us) to experience conflict that pushes us to become better people.
"Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are actually in. We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller." -Donald Miller
I don't usually have to go too far to find the conflict in my life, it seems to come looking for me.
The big question is:
What am I doing with that conflict?
"One of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgment. We don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage.
... we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants." -Donald Miller
What's Your Story?
Are you in conflict today but trying to numb the pain of it by depending on something or someone?
Or you pressing through the conflict to find the resolution/freedom/joy that waits on the other side.
"It's a good calling, then, to speak a better story. How brightly a better story shines. How easily the world looks to it in wonder. How grateful we are to hear these stories, and how happy it makes us to repeat them." - Donald Miller
Let's not be lazy and allow our life story to pass us by.
Let's partner with God to help tell His story through us.