Stephanie here. I love this book - Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner
I read it a couple years ago, and I'm getting itchy to read it again. It's one of those that has a quiet power to it. It's not like every page was sending off light bulbs in my head, but it's stuck with me. Like comfort food, you know?
Lauren was a devout Jew - incredibly devout - and became a Christian after Jesus appeared to her in a dream. Her memoir is honest, intelligent, and thought-provoking. I highly recommend it.
One of the things that has stuck with me most is a story she tells about lent. Her pastor approached her and said he felt she should give up books for lent. Lauren read constantly, and the idea seemed ludicrous to her. Books?
The idea seemed weird to me too as I read her story. I went to a Catholic high school, and my friends always gave up soda or chocolate. Sometimes they'd joke about giving up sex. (None of us were having any, despite what they say about trashy Catholic school girls.) Giving up books seemed weird to me. I mean, books are good for you. At first, it seems akin to give up vegetables.
Lauren decided to follow her pastor's advice and gave up books for lent. She talks about the quiet of her apartment. About the extra time to just ... think. To just be.
Be still and know that I am God, the psalmist writes. When was the last time you were still before God? The last time you went to your room and just sat there. Not because you didn't have anything else you could be doing or should be doing or would like to be doing, but because you wanted to carve out time to just be with God. To be mindful of Him.
I'm not a big reader of nonfiction, but I adored Girl Meets God. If you get a chance to read it, drop me a line.
Stephanie Morrill is a twenty-something living in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately, she discovered a passion for young adult novels a few years ago and has been writing them ever since. Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and is currently working on other young adult projects. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers and does so on her blog www.GoTeenWriters.com. To connect with Stephanie and read samples of her books, check out www.StephanieMorrillBooks.com.