Friday, September 20, 2013

Book Notes: "Spiritual Disciplines for Busy People", by Andrew Yee

Can I note first: this e-book is free? Nice.

Though probably what I should have noted first is: this e-book is excellent.

Andrew Yee is a spiritual director. He's also a dad with a couple of kids, and understands what it is to be time-pressed.

What I loved about this book is that it:

1) fulfilled the promise of its title: it really does give solid ideas for spiritual disciplines that don't take much time, and,
2) it never acts like these small steps are forever going to be enough to satisfy one's thirst for God.

But here's the thing: you've got to start somewhere. And here's one thing more: there are so many times when you have to RE-start somewhere. After an illness, during your kids' infancy, after a discouragement, a tragedy, a time of dryness . . . there are so many seasons in our lives where we get spiritually out of shape, and want to start attending to the Lord again, but are as weak in our devotional muscles as a post-op patient is in her physical muscles.

And no one would tell a mom who had just had a c-section to run a mile. And maybe it's good for everyone to be healthy enough to run a mile. But you can't start there. A mom who's just had a c-section does well to walk from her bed to the toilet and back.

And we do well to spend five minutes trying one of the excellent exercises that Andrew Yee recommends in this book. It's super-short, guys. It's super-dense with good stuff. It's free. You should read it. :)

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Jessica! Thanks for such kind words about my book. Your mom sent me the link to it this afternoon. She had a huge hand in training me, so her influence is all over what I wrote.

What you wrote about RE-starting is so poignant. How often we want to move faster than we're able to, both in our physical actions and in our devotional life!

Peace,
Andrew

Kelly said...

I am delighted to have a book recommendation, particularly one that is free. Recommended, free, and also will help me be more mindful of the Lord? Sold!