Learning to Chew

My best friend from Wisconsin recently became a Christian.  What I love most about talking with Melissa Kane Snider is that she is not versed in Christian lingo nor learned in evangelical expressions.  Conversing with her and her experience of following Jesus is fresh and life-giving.

Recently Melissa asked me if I had read any C.S. Lewis.

"Yes,"  I answered proudly.  "Colby is reading the Chronicles of Narnia to the kids every night before bed."

I could almost hear her rolling her eyes over the phone.

"No..not his children's fiction.  Have you read any of his adult level books?"

I went on the explain that I found his style too heavy and his points too thick to chew.  I simply did not have time in my life to take a fine tooth comb to my theology and splice hairs with Lewis.

She sounded disappointed.  "Everyone always says that.  Why do so many Christians think that?"

After hanging up the phone I began to consider my lazy habits as a Christian.  Maybe instead of complaining about the thickness of the meat, I needed to work at strengthening my jaw.  Thinking about the deeper things of God to the end that I could articulate them better to others.  Enough Christian Living easy reading.   The time had come to delve into the Christian classics.

Now, don't applaud me yet.  I've only been listening to his most famous work, Mere Christianity, in the car while i go places, but it's a start.  I'm not sure if it's easier or harder to do it that way.  I feel like I have to listen to his paragraphs two or three times before I feel ready to move on to the next section.  Sometimes I'll pause it to just reflect or pray that the truths will sink deep into my bones.  It's truly an amazing work.

As I've been listening, I am both inspired and defeated as a writer.  Inspired because I know that I, too, want to spend my life writing about my journey with God and defeated because I could never in my wildest dreams be as articulate as he.  But I digress from the point entirely (Hey!  That sounded EXACTLY like something He would say!).

Today I'm blogging about this book because...when I find something good, I want EVERYONE I know and love to also experience it.  If you're a Christian, this book will deepen you in places you didn't even know needed strengthening.  And, if you're not a Christian, you really should be.  I'll let C.S. Lewis tell you all the reasons why.  You can order it HERE.