Tuesday was a really good day. I finally had a slowdown at work, so I read a book! The whole thing!
Awhile back I saw a free download (or was it $1.99?) for Brennan Manning's 'Patched Together: A Story of My Story.' I've not done much reading on my Kindle, and I still prefer a real book, but it wasn't bad. I just started reading, and pretty soon I was done with the 144-page little masterpiece. It was a very refreshing read, and I recommend it to anyone.
Here is the blurb from the back cover:
“Patched Together is a very special story to me. It is, in many ways, my story …”
These words begin this rich story from Brennan Manning, the beloved author of The Ragamuffin Gospel. Follow the character Willie Juan, a lonely boy who finds belonging in the eyes of the mysterious Man of Sorrows, through three distinct seasons of his life: morning, noon, and night. Each season is filled with memorable characters, significant wounds, and lingering questions.More than a charming tale, Patched Together is a remarkable story in which readers will see themselves. Willie Juan and readers alike will be connected by the thread that ties all the patches together—the everlasting truth that in the end, only Abba’s love remains.From much-loved author Brennan Manning, comes a book for those who long to believe in the God who sees beauty in imperfection.
I also learned how to highlight notes on the Kindle. Here is what I highlighted:
"There is something more important than understanding." p.19
"Sadness, pushed far enough, sometimes leads to a kind of courage." p.30
"Remember, there is something more important than understanding. Do you know what this is, Willie Juan? 'It's love, grandmother, like you always tell me.'" p.49
"You see, Willie Juan, the Evil One has studied you and discovered where you are most vulnerable. He has used your bad feelings about your leg and scars to tempt you to hate yourself; he is trying to steal the joy in your life..." p.55
"Willie Juan considered the voice's words. He could not understand everything he'd heard, but he remembered his grandmother's words: There is something more important than understanding. He knew that something was love; maybe love and trust were almost the same thing." p.56
"Real love survives betrayal and deepens trust." p.59
"When you get to heaven... Abba will not ask you how many prayers you said or how many souls you saved. No, he'll ask, 'Did you enjoy the fajita?' He wants you to live with passion, in the beauty of the moment, accepting and enjoying his gifts." p.60
"...the amazing thing is not that Abba is big, but that Abba became small, like you..." p.61
"Just because he is the Man of Sorrows doesn't mean he's always sad." p.71
"Whatever is not written will be wept." p.85
"Sometimes the facts have little to do with the truth." p.87
"Solitude can be fatal for a person..." p.89
"Willie Juan began to protest, but then reconsidered. He had learned by this point in his life that gifts are to be received, enjoyed." p.108
"But I do try to remind people of things they might have forgotten. Anyone can sing in the light, but it's those who can whisper a doxology in darkness who are truly grateful." p.112
"You don't have to understand your friends, just love them." p.116
"Do we ever really trust when we can see..." p.122
"Courage is like becoming friends with what lies around the corner." p.123
And, at the end of the book they had a blurb from his book "the furious longing of God." I read it years ago, and I like how it starts...
"I'm Brennan. I'm an alcoholic.
How I got there, why I left there, why I went back,
is the story of my life.
But it is not the whole story.
I'm Brennan. I'm a Catholic.
How I got there, why I left there, why I went back,
is also the story of my life.
But it is not the whole story.
I'm Brennan. I was a priest, but am no longer a priest.
I was a married man but am no longer a married man.
How I got to those places, why I left those places,
is the story of my life too.
But it is not the whole story.
I'm Brennan. I'm a sinner, saved by grace.
That is the larger and more important story.
Only God, in His fury, knows the whole of it."
Ah... good, beautiful stuff. Sorry it was so long. It's hard to stop.