To start off this Book Love series I wanted to share with you a book I found through Emily Ley’s Instagram account; Love Does, by Bob Goff.
Bob Goff is the founder and CEO of Restore International, a nonprofit organization fighting injustices committed against children.
Love Does came to my life at the right time, just like many things that are orchestrated by God himself. Let me introduce you with an amazing book: “When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance to make faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don’t want to miss.”I enjoyed reading parts of this book to my husband and girls. The fact that each chapter is a story on its own was one of the things I enjoyed most. It was easy to read and we ended the chapter with a little discussion on our take on the story we had just read together.
When people ask me what it looks like to follow Jesus, I usually say that following Him looks like dealing with all of the issues everyone else does – disappointments, tremendous joy, uncertainty, the whole bit – and having your mind change all the time as you learn how Jesus would’ve dealt with things. Following Jesus is about having your paradigms shift as you navigate a wide range of emotions while living the big life Jesus invites us into. Because I know Jesus, where I once thought of things in one way, now I think of them in another way. It happens all the time, every day.I couldn’t agree more with Bob’s words. One of the things I have learned about myself throughout the years is that I have a compassionate heart and my prayers for my daughters and everyone else I meet in life is for them to be aware of others needs and be compassionate. As I see my girls grow up and share their day’s experience I can hear and feel that those prayers are taking its course and shaping their hearts more closer to God’s. It’s not easy to walk against what is normally seen, but it’s not impossible.
Let me share more about what Love Does.
John’s thinking was kind and caring, of course, but I remembered that Oprah had started a school in South Africa and run into a pack of trouble arising out of boarding kids and I resolved never to take on that responsibility. Besides, we could barely afford the school and teachers, much less monitor, house, clothe and start feeding boarding students. It’s now three years later and at last count, we have over 250 full-time boarding kids at the Restore Academy.If you don’t see God’s hand involved in this words we may be having a problem. This is exactly what Love Does, it ignites a heart that connects to another passionate heart with a strategy. Feeds a need with love and doors are opened in the most amazing way possible. Bob, John and others opened a school for thousands of kids living in campus set up by the government with no opportunity for an education. Even against their odds, this men came together to make what seemed impossible, possible with God’s best weapon, Love.
This chapter added air to a fire in my heart. One of my prayers is to be used in this life in a way that I can make a difference in someones life. At least one person. Those prayers are not going to stay unanswered. I’ll see the door open and will be taking you all along the journey with me too, because what ever we end up doing is not a one man’s (or women’s) job…it takes all of us.
This book also brought tears too. If you have been following long enough or have read my about on this blog you’ll know by now that I was a Cancer patient. I say was, because Cancer is not what I am. I am not in remission (according to the doctors), but I am according to God. Bob shares about his friend Don, his health, his journey and how fascinating he was.
He was that delighted about the opportunity to live even one more day, to take one more breath, to learn one more thing about the character of God. He wanted to move from dancing on the edge of heaven to being in heaven. Each time Don wrote a letter or post, he’d end with the words: “God is good, all the time. God is good.” It wasn’t just something he was telling himself, hoping it was true. It was something he knew for certain, and he was hoping we’d know too as he stood at the edge of heaven.I agree with Don, God is good, all the time. God is good.
If you have an opportunity go and find this book. It’s worth every penny and it will change a child’s life and yours life too. All of the proceeds from the book are being donated to Restore International’s Leadership Academy in Gulu, Uganda. and the Mentoring Project.
