In Reynolds Price's book, A...
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In Reynolds Price's book, A Whole New Life, he tells the story of his struggles with cancer of the spine. The discovery of the cancer, the surgery, the chemotherapy, the difficulties with the doctors, the fear, the pain is all told with acute detail. One of the impressions that meets the fortunate reader of this book is that God rarely comes to us in crisis as we would have God come, as gentle shepherd or loving mother. No, God comes in fierce dreams and in demands exacting all from God's children which we have to give. Only after God makes it absolutely clear that "my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways higher than your ways" does God move us toward the promise that myrtle will come up instead of the brier, cypress instead of a thorn. Exacting ... severe ... penetrating ... compelling, these are descriptions of the God whom we are meant to seek? Apparently, yes! -- Steffey
