God Still Speaks, part two

:: the book ::

The week following dad's funeral, I set out to a local Christian bookstore to find some reading material on death and the grieving process. I didn't have anything in mind and I didn't really know where to start. I wandered to the section on grief. I scanned the books in the section for those about death, picking up anything that had a cover that looked appealing. I found a book compiled by author Nancy Guthrie that looked like it would suffice and headed to the checkout. As I was waiting, I re-read the back cover and realized that the author had a preceding book that boasted translation into several languages, "Holding on to Hope: A Pathway through Suffering to the Heart of God." Hmmmm...on second thought, maybe I should start with the first book? The title said it all.

I was having difficulty locating it on the shelves, so I walked up to the help desk to see if someone else could locate it for me. The woman kindly told me that it was out of stock but she could order it for me. Let's face it, I live in 'generation now' and although the thought of reading a book on my iPhone still makes me scowl, mail order was not good enough. I decided to try a few other stores first. Barnes & Noble was the next place I checked - none at either location in town. Humph...the library? I guess I can settle for borrowing it if it means that I get it faster. Nope, neither library that I have cards for had it. As I struggled to locate a copy, I decided it was a sign that I really needed to read this book! I called Dan in a panic. He talked me down and then into ordering it on half.com. Thankfully, just as fast as he ordered it he received an email confirming same day shipping. I wasn't thrilled about waiting but thought I could get by for a few days. It took TEN DAYS for the book to get to my house. So for those of you who may have wondered this before, I have come to the conclusion that The Pony Express is still used in some parts of The United States.

I opened the cover and began to read. Below is what I found printed inside the page to the introduction (and the first sign that I believe I really was meant to read this exact book):

"Hope is symbolized in Christian iconography by an anchor. And what does an anchor do? It keeps the ship on course when wind and waves rage against it. But the anchor of hope is sunk in heaven not on earth."

-Gregory Floyd, A Grief Unveiled

Aha. That explains it. Faith, Hope, and Love are the symbols on my charm. It all makes perfect sense! Why didn't I think of that before? I have absolutely no idea why I didn't, and I have to admit that the word "duh" came to mind after I read the excerpt. I don't feel too bad though because my girlfriends also did not know that the anchor was a representation of hope! I love my charm so much more this way because I had the chance to attach my own personal meanings to it first.

To be continued...

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13