I'm reading "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller right now. Good book so far. So I just hit a little section that I thought was pretty awesome...and when I say awesome, I mean challenging:
"People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen. But joy costs pain."
The hardest experiences in life often end up being our best memories. So why do we spend so much time searching for the easiest path through life?
Think that'll do...
As usual I think Donald Miller misses the point but does his best to try to sound like he knows what he is saying. Joy doesn't cost pain, it simply requires letting go of that which intrudes into joy...
ReplyDeleteStacy...is that a guy or a girl's name?
ReplyDeleteJames...I'd agree with you some times, but in this case, I think you may be thinking he's off because I didn't give the context. He's primarily talking in this book about living a life full of events worth remembering. In the context of this statement, he was talking about reconnecting with his dad who basically dumped his family when he was young. He felt like God wanted him to do it and he knew that it could be could have amazing (or devastating) results. Either way, he knew it would be extremely painful. So I just pulled this statement out of context.
And some of the time, letting go of the things that intrude into joy is painful. Try telling an alcoholic that he'll have a better life if he can break his addiction. Try telling me that I can have a better Friday if I can let go of our final. Wait...that would only be painful to my grades.
Well, you could have a better Friday if you let go of the Final (or did it Thursday)...just put it off and work half-effort and I am sure it will all be fine.
ReplyDeleteI am familiar with the author's story about his father, but context doesn't matter in this case. Perhaps letting go may be painful, or it may just be perceived as painful. I would argue if you let go then it wouldn't be painful - the pain comes from holding on. Sometimes what results from doing something halfway (partially letting go) is painful, but letting go completely...not so much...