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Thursday, March 20, 2014

On strangely addictive autobiographies

I do not read biography (or its self-generated cousin) unless I absolutely have to, which means I have not picked up such a book since my grade school days, at least until I started reading C. S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy.  I have not finished yet, in fact I have barely survived his dreadful school days and the Great War, but though his early life was, well dreadful, things seem to be turning towards a brighter direction.  In general I am not a nonfiction or biography reader, but anything by Lewis I have found to be extremely rewarding.  After beginning this volume, I feel like a literary pygmy, the man is a genius!  I already had some inklings in that direction, but reading his own account of his education is stunning and makes me feel as if I am still struggling with Dr. Seuss.  His life minds me very much of the Apostle Paul, an extremely brilliant man who wants nothing to do with the cross of Christ and yet he ends being one of the most effective evangelists of his day, and for all generations to come.  I love seeing God's hand at work in their early lives to prepare them for the tasks He has set them.  The same is true for every life on this planet.  God calls each of us to do something, perhaps not to be world renowned apologists or evangelists, but to do something very specific and unique, combining our skills, experiences, interests, and personalities.  He has used every tool at His disposal to shape us into the individuals He wants us to be and prepare us for the job He intends for us to do, the only questions is, will we say yes?  He stands at the door and knocks, is anyone home?

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