Book Review-Restless

One of the challenges on my 30 by 30 list, is to read a new Christian book each month.   Friday evening I went to Mardels and found this book at the suggestion of the young man working.  And I must say oh my Lord it was a great choice.  Restless is written by Jennie Allen, and the tag line is BECAUSE YOU WERE MADE FOR MORE.  My first thought when the kid suggested the book was you don't know me like that.  Then I opened page 1 and I couldn't put the  book down.   I'm a quarter of the way through the book and its already challenging me to pursue my call to ministry, more than what I am currently.  I highly suggest this book to anyone who is dealing with a restless spirit.  It challenges you to live every day with purpose.  The point I have loved the most is how Jennie Allen highlights over and over again that our ministry isn't always going to be that of Joyce Meyers or Beth Moore, and sometimes not even that of missionaries in Haiti.  Sometimes God's plan for the season that you are in is to be a faithful mother, wife, student, or even Mcdonalds worker.

I recently had to make a grown up decision to not move to Australia.  For the last year my life has been consumed with fulfilling that plan, and I knew God was in the decision to move.  Then life happened, and plans changed.  I've had a hard time living with that decision and accepting that this was all in God's plan.  It has hurt my pride, my focus, and confused me more than anything. All of sudden every insecurity and fear that God was done with me overcame me.  It even took me over a month to say it out loud.  Afraid of what my peers would think, and afraid of what my haters would say.  Through this study I was reminded of Joseph, it took him 15 years to fulfill the vision that God put in his heart.  I know that he was probably confused throughout that entire time.  God never says its going to be smooth sailing, he just says trust in me and be faithful to me and I will fulfill that purpose in you.  One time I spent the day in jail, for a ticket this was the hardest almost 24 hours of my life.  All I did was complain to God the entire time I was there.  I have been betrayed by friends and hurt by those that I loved and I never once thought that maybe this was in God's plan.  The thing about Joseph is he still kept living even through being betrayed by his brothers, thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, and in being imprisoned.  He still used his God given gifts in every day life.   

I leave you with this, there is a quote in the book that says, "We start running the race we were meant to run, and then we realize after mile five that we have accidentally signed up for a marathon." Although I thought the plan was finish school at Hillsong and then start doing ministry. I am changing to embracing my role in my day to day life, and living every day with purpose.  Looking for opportunities to serve the Lord with whole hearted, and be the JoAnna that God created me to be. 

-JSqd