A Shameless Book Plug… 28 years later.

Twenty-eight years ago, a man began to disciple my husband. With it came an entire list of recommended readings. It makes me laugh as I think about it because Clyde, the discipler, was all about the Bible being the only curriculum… which it was. Yet, digesting powerful books about revivals and God's movement through history was important, too. I also remember that he liked poetry, and then there was this random and oddly titled book in the stack, Hines Feet in High Places. 

During that season, I worked full-time for Rhodes and traveled for my job quite a bit as Chris went to seminary. Each week, it felt like another book was being added to the stack on my nightstand, as was a little more pressure to keep up with the pace of Chris's spiritual growth. Graciously, God did grow me and give me a new-found love for His word and to spend time with Him, but many of the books went unread. (A whole other blog is coming on about how He knows where we are!) 

Fast-forward twenty-eight years and a few wrinkles… 

About a month ago, Hines Feet in High Places resurfaced as a gift. I still don't spend as much time reading as I would like, but the title rang a bell from a "must read" from my past, and I decided I would commit to reading it.  

God's timing is perfect, and He knew it would meet me where I was right now, but I only wish I had read this well-known book two and a half decades ago. I won't spoil it for anyone else who has had this best seller on their dusty list, but I will say that the story is of a girl who goes on a journey. As an allegory, her name is Much-Afraid, and along her journey, she meets other characters with names like Sorrow and Suffering. 

In a world with suffering and unexplainable things, this story unlocks some of the mysteries of our daily journeys. Each of our stories, struggles, and triumphs are unique, but there are realities that we all encounter. 

Whether you are in a season of hardship or have one in your rearview mirror, it would not be a waste of time to digest this book, and I would be shocked if it didn't help you come to peace with painful things. Here is a snippet from the preface… 

The lessons of accepting and triumphing over evil, of becoming acquainted with grief and pain, and ultimately, of finding them transformed into something incomparably precious; of learning through the constant glad of surrender to know the Lord of Love himself in a new way and to experience unbroken union with him – these are the lessons of the allegory in this book. The High Places and hinds feet do not refer to heavenly places after death but are meant to be the glorious experience of God's children here and now – if they will follow the path he chooses for them. 

I invite you to order a copy and ask the Lord to speak through it. I trust you will find immense hope and peace through a simple story as I did. I would let you borrow my copy… but I am reading it a second time.  

The Lord is my strength, and He will make my feet like Hinds's Feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine High Places. Habakkuk 3:19