What I'm reading... Book Review #2

Dancin' Toward the Dawn  

Discovering joy in the darkness of loneliness 

by: Tim Hansel 

 

Tim was Wilson's mentor and when Wilson came to speak at Sanctuary two Mondays ago he gave me one of Tim's books. I've read other work by Hansel and devoured it. It reads like a conversation with a dear friend. He has a way of motivating you like few others.

His desire for truth makes you want to seek it. He was an inspiration, and even after his death his words still inspire many. Loneliness is something I have battled my whole life. I know a lot of us do, but we tend to hide it from others. If you struggle with loneliness you have to read this book.

First of all, any book that mentions the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan has my heart without question. BUT even if he didn't mention Brennan I would have loved this book! What makes it so powerful is his transparency. He is author and speaker and very easily could have chosen to protect an image of having it all together... but he chooses to be vulnerable instead. I felt like I was reading a private journal. He shows us how to truly connect to God in our most broken places. He will help you turn your loneliness into the very thing that draws you closer to our God. Great read. I will probably read it again in the future!

Memorable Quotes:

• "Emotions are a gift from God, given to us so we can respond to life. The problem with feelings is that you really have to feel them. You can't heal what you can't feel. As one of my defense mechanisms,I learned how to think "about" feelings rather than really feel them. The two are galaxies apart. Maybe the worst mistake we can make is to repress our feelings instead of learning how to properly express them. Perhaps without knowing it, we are cutting off God's ability to work in us." pg 41
• "Like a headlight that can only reach so far into the darkness, human love by its very nature has its limits. Our focus instead needs to be on the One who has said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
• We need to stop looking for certainty in order to discover truth. By its very nature, life has the capacity and propensity to change. 
• We sometimes assume that God is leading towards a prearranged goal. He may not be. What He desires most from us is obedience. Surrender to His person. Sensitivity to His presence." pg 53
• "As long as one is busy, busy, busy, he or she never has to face what is really important in life. We never have to find out who God really is. We simply follow the God we have underlined in the Bible- not the God who is, but the God we want Him to be." pg 84
• "A broken heart simply contains more room for love... We must remain "empty" in our loneliness (that is, not trying to fill it with every possible distraction), or He cannot fill us." pg 92
• "God's presence has brought peace, not certainty." pg 105
• "We want friends to do what only God can do." 154

And he quotes my favorite... Brennan...
"It had never dawned on him that the vitally important thing was to drop his ego... There is nothing the ego will not seize upon to inflate itself... That is why mature Christian prayer leads us... through loneliness and aridity, which buries egoism and leads us out of ourselves to experience God." 


Overall, this book has drawn me closer to God in times of loneliness. I am very grateful for these words that filled my soul with more of God. If this is a struggle for you these words will be like food for you very hungry soul. Thank you Wilson for this book!