Reading Your Way to Better Mental Health

I've always been an avid reader and my taste in books is long, tall, deep and wide. Over the course of the past two months, I have read a lot. My biggest undertaking was the new Stephen King book which I believe weighed roughly 10 pounds which made it darn near impossible to read in the bathtub. I was afraid I would drop it and it would cause the water level to rise and drown me. I also re-read the entire Twilight series - I'm not sure why but they intrigue me. Perhaps it is my genuine dislike for the heroine in those books that makes me want to read them again. I guess I needed someone to despise. Why do I not like Bella you ask? I find her whiny, needy, selfish and just all around unthoughtful and undeserving of so much blind devotion even if it is from a vampire and a werewolf. I read Koontz's "Breathless" and was once again blown away by his ability to translate his love for animals into a way that makes even the most fantastical of characters come alive for me. I also ripped through 3 books on Alzheimer Disease which were a gift from a good friend and helped me understand that the things I was dealing with were not unique to me. Rather, I was in an army of thousands that fought the same problems, guilt, denial, exhaustion, worry and sadness as I.
All of these books accomplished different things for me. Stirred my imagination, took me away for a while, helped me cope and even simply entertained.
And then, I noticed a book that had been sitting on my bookshelf untouched for at least 2 months. It was a book my daughter handed me one day and said "Mom, you really should read this book, it's really good." As I noticed it sitting there collecting dust I wondered why it hadn't occurred to me to read it before. Interestingly enough, my daughter had mentioned it only once and that was to inquire if I had read it yet.
As I began to read this book, I was swept away by the story that unfolded. A story of loss, heart wrenching sadness and pain. I could identify with this! As I read on, it became clear to me that God was speaking to me in a very real and personal way. There was so much of that book that cleared away a lot of messiness in my life and in my thoughts. I will not give away the storyline for fear of spoiling it for someone else. I will tell you that I highly recommend "The Shack". It isn't a big book and it doesn't take long to read but I will tell you that it is often not an easy read. It makes you think and makes you question and also makes you aware of some truths that you might have dreamed of but never thought possible.
I am firmly convicted that God left that book on my shelf until a time when I most needed to read it. And now, I will give it to you in the same way. You should read this book......let God tell you when.
Oh, and to my Darling Daughter who seemed to realize that the time would come when I would need this message more than any other - thank you from the depths of my heart in which you hold a most important place.
Peace my friends!