It is all Dan’s fault.

First, let me explain. I come from a huge family, most of whom read. I mean, they all read a lot, except me… so that is what I mean by ‘most.’

My parents have an ever-evolving library of books. My dad is usually reading more than one book at a time, of various genres. My mom is constantly on her kindle or holding a book and reading. It’s what they do.

I grew up surrounded by examples of how important it is to read. I remember one Sunday morning, my mom was at the kitchen table, reading the comics. It was some time between 1975 and 1979, because we were in Ohio and I could read. I asked if she could turn the comics around so I could see them too. She said, “Look at them from there. I bet if you try, you can read them upside down.”  Do you know awesome it is that I was encouraged to read upside down??? And that the memory of that has stuck with me all this time?

Anyway, so I can honestly say that, while I am well-read and can read, I do not choose to read. I choose to watch movies. I choose to knit. I choose to walk/run/jog 3-5 miles at a time. I choose to text and talk and gab and be social. I do not choose to read.

Until now. And back to my introduction, it’s all Dan’s fault. I don’t know if Dan reads my blog, although I will tag him when I post this to Facebook.

Dan is leads our youth group at St. Thomas church in Oakmont. Last spring, when August was going through their struggles with gender identity, I approached Dan about any resources he might have for me in attempting to both support August and to discuss with them their new resolve about being agnostic.

The day after we talked, Dan texted me about a book group he was starting. My initial response was, “I don’t read, Dan.” But he went on to talk about the book, and I did a little research on it, and I decided to give it a go. The book is, “The Reason for God” by Timothy Keller. In his book, Keller addresses all the arguments against the existence of God and then shared all the proof that there is a God. We are about halfway through and I am really enjoying it.

During one of our groups, someone shared a post they had encountered on social media about how Christians can approach the idea of Transgender. He shared the post with me, which led me to discovering that the author of the post had also written a book. Yes, I also purchased that book. It is “Understanding Gender Dysphoria; Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture” and is written by Mark A. Yarhouse. So now I’m reading two books.

And then, a few weeks ago, a couple different members of the group mentioned another book that intrigued me. It is called the Ragamuffin Gospel. It was written by Brennan Manning. This book has completely sucked me in! The revelation that I am okay as I am, being a total sinner and ragamuffin, is refreshing and encouraging.

So here I am, a non-reader, currently juggling three different books. THREE books. What the heck???

And I repeat, it’s all Dan’s fault. I guess I should thank him.

Thanks, Dan!