The Way of Abundance by Ann Voskamp

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A 60-Day Journey into a Deeply Meaningful Life

Ann has a way with words, I don't think anyone will deny that. I will confess that sometimes the almost poetic way she uses words can leave me a little confused as to what she is saying. Sixty days, sixty devotionals and the theme is brokenness leads to abundance. And she's right. What she says makes sense.

Did you sense a pause at the end of the last paragraph? There was, I think. Reading 60 devotionals back to back in less than a week is not the way to really soak in the content. Instead, it starts to feel a bit redundant. You need love and to really love you need to be broken. You can't have walls around your heart if you want to love. To care about other people, you need to love, and to love you must be willing to be broken.  It's broken people that know how to care, it's broken people that can swim deep in God's grace. What she said was so true. I feel like I need to go back and reread these devotionals and really soak them in.

On the other hand, I think we need to exercise caution here as well. I like Ann's writings, don't get me wrong. I do believe love could cure a lot of evil, being willing to be broken, to take the brokenness that comes with life and allowing it to make me a better person, allowing it to shape me into Christ's image. But as with all writings and authors, there is a balance here. Just loving people isn't going to save them for eternity, just loving people isn't going to save me for eternity. There is the other side of love and that is God's justice. I'm not sure how to tie this all together, but for me I just felt a caution to find the balance and not going leaping over into, it's all about love.

That being said, I know I also needed to hear some of this. I needed to be reminded that my pain can be used for God if I am willing to surrender it to God. I needed to hear that I need to be the GIFT to other people, that I need to be willing to be used of God all day every day. I need to sift my words before I speak. I need to be willing to say, I'm sorry. There were many good reminders in this book as well.

Again, there were also lots of quote worthy things said as well, but I'm just going to share one. "Every one of us, in one hurting way or another is in this club (broken with all your heart). The grace that's in this moment is your manna. Wish for the past and you drink poison. Worry about the future and you eat fire. Stay in this moment and you eat the manna needed for now."

That struck me. I need to live here and now, not wishing for the past or longing for the future, but enjoying the present so that I can take full advantage of right now, even with all it's struggles and trials.

This would make a beautiful gift. It's hard cover with a classy look and a ribbon marker. The inside is more of a rustic off-white, cream pages. At first glance, it felt like it cheapened the book, but I got used to it and it works.

I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and was not required to write a positive review.

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