The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not need us to make it anything more than it already is. What the gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to do is to be exactly who we are, in the places where we find ourselves, and to be infused with the salty goodness that comes when we surrender our lives and our agendas and our hopes and dreams to the power and the control of the Holy Spirit. {emphasis mine}
I wonder if you're like me. You've wrestled with the life you've been given. You've questioned the gifts and talents God asks you to use, the resources {or lack thereof} he trusts you to steward, and the people he brings into your life and asks you to love and serve. You might have wondered why in the world he made you with hair that's prone to frizz, skin that burns in mere nanoseconds at the beach, and an intolerance to heat, and then plants you for your entire life in south Florida's oppressive heat and humidity and wants you to be happy about it. {That's probably just me.}
But maybe like me you couldn't imagine the grace and beauty of a small and ordinary life in a place outside your {literal} comfort zone or that the small increments of growth, the little acts of kindness given and received, or the places of weakness sacrificed could possibly make a difference for good.
Maybe also like me you need a Deidra Riggs in your life.
In Every Little Thing, Deidra captivates us with stories that illustrate the redemptive potential every little thing in our life holds to manifest God's character, reveal the truth of his Word, correct our perspective, and confirm God's plans when we stop resisting the work he is doing in and around us and join him--who and where we are.
Every Little Thing is not a how-to manual for changing the world, but more like a weekend away with a good friend. It's listening to the stories that changed Deidra that made a difference in how she could see God at work in her life and how she responded to the stories to come. It's in the listening to Deidra's stories that I'm encouraged. My perspective is adjusted and I can more easily recognize how every little thing in my life story can be redeemed to make a difference.
I encourage you to click here and read Ann Voskamp's Foreword to Every Little Thing and Deidra's Introduction {I promise it will have you on the edge of your seat).
Before I had the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of Every Little Thing, I pre-ordered a hard copy weeks before it was scheduled to be released this week. That means I have a copy to give away.
All you have to do to add your name to the drawing is to leave a comment below before midnight (ET) Sunday, October 11th. A winner will be chosen at random (by my now retired husband) on Monday. I'll announce the winner here that afternoon, so be sure to check back here next week to see if that's YOU!
In your comment below, I'd love to hear how someone's seemingly small words or actions toward you made an unforgettable, positive difference in your life.
Andrew Peterson released this beautiful song and video from his soon to be released album "The Burning Edge of Dawn." Peterson wrote it for his daughter, but after singing it he realized it was also for him. It's for all of us, and it speaks to the heart of Deidra's Every Little Thing message. God loves us and wants to use us just the way we are. To quote Deidra:
What the gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to do
is to be exactly who we are,
in the places where we find ourselves...
