Normally I write my book reviews on Goodreads and just share with my fellow reading friends through that system. But when I read this book, I had so many thoughts about God and my own spiritual journey I thought a blog post was much more fitting.
My dear friend Mandy loaned me this book after an intense small group session where she and I realized that at some point we held the same skepticism surrounding God and whether he was really 'here.' She offered up this book as something that 'got her through' and I was more than willing to give it a go.
The entire book is about the author's foray in and out and IN Christianity. She writes about a personal tragedy that altered her relationship with God and her struggle to rebuild her faith.
I didn't experience a personal tragedy, but I did lose sight of God for a very long time. As a child, I attended church regularly and believing in God was easy. As Patty writes 'Who doesn't believe in God in childhood? ...In those invisible qualities of love, justice, order and forgiveness? ....Being heard and paid attention to. Being loved, no matter what.' (p. X). Personally, I found church and congregational activities comforting. I made a lot of friends at camp and even enjoyed the competition brought on by Awana's- earning badges for verses memorized and booklets completed.
It's when I got older that unbelief settled in. At some point between middle school and high school I became very aware of the 'uncool' things I was: an academic, a rule-follower and a Christian.
As I slowly ceased to maintain those qualities, my feelings about church changed as well. Church was no longer a happy place, it became a place of shame for me. In fact, each time I went, I felt God was putting me on a guilt trip. It became easier for me to forget about God instead of change who I was becoming.
