Unexpected?
Well, for those who have already read my previous post, you know the Spirit of God led me in an unexpected direction last week as I began writing my book. In short, I expected to write a book about the key underlying dynamics that drive relationships, beneath the surface of issues like communication style and such. I did not intend to write the book from an obvious Christian perspective, because I wanted it to appeal to and reach the broadest possible audience. Well, I don’t have a clue what kind of audience will ever read this book, or if it will ever even be published. And the real freeing part for me is…I’m not worried about it. God surprised me my leading me to write a book that is all about the Gospel – living freely, confidently, and abundantly in the Kingdom of heaven – and how this way of living offers radical transformation in the relationships of our lives.
I guess the part that blows me away about this new direction is the fact that it did surprise me. I am a follower of Christ who finds my meaning and hope and guidance primarily through my life in him. And my professional job is to help struggling people find meaning and hope and guidance to restore and improve their lives and relationships – and I do this as a “Christian counselor.” So, why shouldn’t my book be primarily concerned with the power of the Gospel to change our lives and relationships?!!
On a lighter note, the other surprise that really shouldn’t have surprised me is how much my book is going to be infused with messages and images and dialog from movies. Any of you who know me well enough to know my passion for quoting movies, and my similar passion for using movies as therapeutic tools and metaphors, won’t be surprised to find references to The Matrix and Forrest Gump, dialog from The Shawshank Redemption, and plenty more movie moments nestled in the pages of my book between stories from Scripture and tales from my own life.
And for those who are curious, my current working title is “Hope for Your Story: The Relationship Transformation of Living in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (I think the subtitle is too cumbersome, but I’ll work on it.)
With Hope in Him,
Roger
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