Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Book review, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day


For most of my life, I have not fit into the stereotypical moulds that were predetermined for me by my family, my schools or the church. Instead of finding comfort in the routine, I've sought after things that were difficult. I chose my majoy in college because it was difficult ot me--I was an English major who excelled not in Shakespeare but in Calculus. For 31 years, I could not explain this tendency; I merely lived it.


Recently, on a whim, I requested a copy of Mark Batterson's book entitled In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day because the title and the subject intrigued me. I'd been reading his blog, and I had a sense that he had something to say that I needed to hear. Utterly unprepared for what would come, I received the book and read it. Cover to cover. In one day. Only I refused to read the final chapter for two weeks, because I did not want the book to end.


Nearly every page of my book has pink highlighter and my scrawling handwriting. This book is written to whom God has entrusted big dreams, big vision. This book is not for the average person who is content to live a mundane life. This book will shake you out of the status quo and show you that "our calling is much higher than simply running away from what is wrong. We're called to chase lions" (15).


If you know me, I genuinely attempt to protect both the hearts and minds of the people God has placed in my life. I do not lightly recommend reading, sermons, pastors or churches. That being said, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This book has reframed the way that I look at life, at challenges, at pain.


If you find yourself in a place where circumstances appear insurmountable, or in a place of transition, or in a place where the mundane is more uncomfortable than having your teeth removed without a pain killer, get a copy of this book into your hands and read it cover to cover. If you've always felt different than everyone else, read this book. You will find that you are not abnormal. "Normal people run away from lions. They run as far and as fast as they possibly can. But lion chasers are wired differently" (10).


Below you will find a link to amazon.com. Happy reading!


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