Saturday, July 9, 2011

Pressing Into Thin Places, margaret Herrell Willis EdD


"A thin place is where, for a moment, the spiritual world and natural world intersect. There are moments when we do feel the divine breaking through our world. We feel unified and connected with God. It is not an intellectual knowing, it is felt in the spirit. / We are graced with thin moments from time to time, some profound, some subtle. They sneak up on us. So let us keep our eyes open for the gifts of the thinning of the veil as we walk on the mountains. And let us remember the truths in the flatlands and in the valleys."

So begins one of the most profound and dear books that I have read in a long time. In the pages of this tiny book the heart of the author is opened up as she delves into the sweetest moments of life - when God reaches down and we are aware of His closeness. It is in these moments that we see His greatness and feel His presence. Sometimes this happens on the mountainsides of joy, in the green valleys of peace, beside the still waters of rest - But more so they also happen in the throes of the storm, in the wrecking winds of destruction, in the devastating breaking of heartache and loss. It is then that God "pulls back the veil" and allows us a glimpse of His eternal love, grace, power and peace.

Filled with short stories followed by scripture and poetry this book is sure to be an encouragement to those who read it. More over it stands as a testement of God's working in the author's life and those that she knows. I found this especially neat after studying the book of Joshua. In it Joshua commands a man from each of the 12 tribes to place a rock on their shoulder from the river Jordon to carry it over. This meant these men were not picking up mere pebbles, but were reaching down to place the largest boulders they could shoulder to carry accross. These boulders came not from either shore but more specifically from the bed of the River Jordon - the place God had cleared for them. On the other side they were instructed to build an alter to the Lord - a monument. It's purpose - to serve as a visual reminder of ALL the Lord had done. And when the children Isreal passed that way they were to recount the story of God's working to their children and grand-children. This book is just such a memorial. It is written accounts of the "thin places" - divine and life changing moments with God.

Read this and be encouraged to open your eyes to the "thin places" in your life. Eagerly seek out the moments when God is pulling back the veil so that you can have a glimpse of His eternal greatness. Let the weaver move the threads of your life in such a way that the tapestry is brilliant and the glory of the thin places serves as a glowing light for the lost of this world. Our thin places may be the evidence of God's power, His enduring love, His forever strength that someone else needs to see.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you B&B Communications for this review copy.

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