Don Miller has a way of reaching inside my soul. And part of the magic is, I only happen to read his books when I need them. Or when I’m ready for them. I’ve had this on my to read / to review list for a while, and haven’t tackled it. This was perfect timing.

I just finished <i>The Raven Cycle</i> series by Maggie Stiefvater. I am in the middle of my life and had already been thinking about meaning and purpose, and the last book in that series really brought that question into sharp focus. I needed something to ground me. And this book did. It helped me understand that one of my purposes in life is the relationships I have. This book is all about relationships - that title is about how scary they can be.

One thing I realized is that I still don’t believe in unconditional love - or at least in it coming from other people to me. I need to trust people that love me - that they won’t leave me or hate me when I screw up. That can be a difficult thing to do.

<i>Somewhere along the line I think many of us buy into a lie that we only matter if…</i>

Yup.

<i>Some of the most troubled people I know were raised in fundamentalist environments with parents who felt the need to act more righteous than they were. I don’t know if I’ve ever met a person from a legalistic family who didn’t struggle. Environments in which we are encouraged to hide our faults are toxic.</i>

This was a really powerful book in tackling relationships.

Plus, Don Miller has a great narrative style.

Worth reading.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Nelson Books for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>