40 Days

Finishing The Brothers Karamazov a couple weeks ago I needed a bit of levity...so true-to-form I decided to embark on a 40 day spiritual quest with The Purpose Driven Life. It arrived in a shipment of four banker's boxes, the remnants of our book collection sent expeditiously by Adam's mom a few weeks after we left for AZ. Think it must have been a present from Aunt Linda many Christmases ago. I know I meant to read it, but never did, and now find myself terribly behind the many who have. How many books end up this way? On our list of wanted to, meant to, started to...forgot about. Never too late to discover, "What on Earth am I here for?" Though I think I already know...which could be the reason that I never felt the urgent need to read it.

In the first few pages, you discover that Rick Warren---the author--- wants you to commit to reading a section everyday. Instead of speeding through, he wishes the reader to reflect on every chapter. All in all, a total of 40, adding up to a period of 40 days. Using 40 days, he mirrors a time frame that God also finds significant. Warren gives a few examples:

Noah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.

Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai

David was transformed by Goliath's 40-day challenge.

Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal

The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change.

Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.

The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.

I did not realize that this would be the format of the book. So far, I like this perspective. At the end of each brief chapter he gives, "A Point to Ponder, A Verse To Remember and A Question to Consider." Last night the quest began. Since so many have already read this book I kind of feel like Jim Gaffigan joking about wanting to talk about a movie that came out years ago:

"Hey! I just saw Heat!"

"What? I saw that movie 10 years ago."

"I wanna talk about it now."

"No! Get away from me weirdo!"

Because...I know I will probably want to talk about it.