Scouting the Divine

I’ve been somewhat of a book connoisseur lately. I’ve read more books in the past 3 months than in the last year and a half. Before I say any more, I must thank my Mom for all the amazing book recommendations and buying them all for me to put on my Nook.  I truly love to read, but in college I only had time for the assigned reading instead of reading for enjoyment. I’ve found reading helps me escape into a completely different world or relate to the story of someone struggling along a journey.

During YASC orientation, the leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining our spiritual health, whether through daily prayer, meditation or reading scripture. I started with the Bible Challenge to help guide me through the scripture instead of blindly diving in. After a week, my diligence faded away. I had trouble connecting with some of the passages and would lose patience in my confusion. I know I’m not alone in my feelings about the struggle of tackling stories of the Bible.

My Mom is in a Bible Study and they read Scouting the Diving by Margaret Feinberg. She kindly bought as in E-book to share with me. I’m extremely happy she did because the book reenergized me about tackling scripture. Margaret weaves beautiful tales and experiences of a modern day shepherd, beekeeper, farmer, and vintner to relate to the ancient truths of the Bible. By exploring the metaphors and symbols of the Bible within our own world, she gains deeper insight and answers to puzzling questions.

Margaret is honest about doubts in her own faith, her challenges with understanding God’s stories, and living the life God intended for her. The relatable quality of her thirst to understand the meaning of God’s word and her amazing ability to story tell makes this a quick, fun, interesting, thought-provoking read.

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In the end, the shepherd teaches Margaret about God’s love, the farmer about God’s timing, the beekeeper about God’s individual gifts that allow us to work as a community, and the vintner about how God is the keeper of the vine and we must be cut back in order to grow.

This quote sums it all up,

“Deep down inside, the consistent and unmistakable tone of God’s love keeps me going. It makes me want to love him and others more. It infuses me with the hope that despite all that is shattered in me, my perspective, and the world around me, God is still good. A good and loving God is committed to the redemption and restoration – not just in my own life, but in our world.” 

I hope you explore Margaret’s adventures by reading Scouting the Divine. For me, it’s going to be one of those books I read again and again.

Thanks for reading!