ROADS
No need to wonder what heron-haunted lake
lay in the other valley,
or regret the songs in the forest
I chose not to traverse.
No need to ask where other roads might have led,
since they led elsewhere;
for nowhere but this here and now
is my true destination.
The river is gentle in the soft evening,
and all the steps of my life have brought me home.
RUTH BIDGOOD
For Mom, Dad, and Beth, who have
modeled the way of love for me over a lifetime.
And for Jack and David, who daily demonstrate it.
I love you and thank God for you.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us as a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God.
Contents
Meditation on John 11:17-44
Resurrection and Life
Part Two
Broken and Poured Out
Meditation on Mark 14:1-11
A Beautiful Thing
Part Three
Rolling Away Stones
Silence and Solitude Retreat
Waiting for Morning
Meditation on John 21:9-22
Embracing the Call
More Titles from Intervarsity Press
Part One
In the Shadow
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you
my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will
take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.
one
Becca
In the three weeks since her mother’s death, Becca Crane had learned one thing about grief: there was no predicting what might trigger a deluge of emotion. The simplest things could set her off—an American accent on the London Underground, a box of Cheerios (her mother’s staple) on a shelf at Tesco’s, the melodic, mournful strains of a violin played by a street musician on the south side of the Thames. For some reason nighttime walks along the river with the view across to the Houses of Parliament evoked such deep pain in her chest that she could hardly breathe.
She pulled her knit beret down over her ears and leaned forward against the cold metal railing. All along the South Bank, the globes on the wrought-iron lampposts cast soft light on couples walking hand in hand, while the laughter of children riding an old-fashioned carousel wafted toward her.
She wasn’t sure why she subjected herself to these evening outings. Maybe she preferred the searing pain of loss to the numbness that had consumed her immediately after her mother died. In Kingsbury, her hometown, she had stumbled along dazed and detached, as if she were watching herself in a movie, a short, dark-haired orphan girl trying to convince herself and everyone else that she would survive “just fine.”
“Call me if you need anything,” her aunt had said on the phone shortly after Becca returned to London for the remainder of her junior year abroad. The words rang hollow. Rachel hadn’t even bothered to attend the funeral, using the feeble excuse of a business trip she ...
|
About An Extra Mile: A Story of Embracing God's CallChristianity Today Book of the Year Award The women of Sensible Shoes are navigating both deep joy and devastating loss. Can they find equilibrium in the midst of all that has changed? Mara: While faced with the turmoil of divorce and chaos at home, she is also listening for a call to serve others with courage and creativity. Hannah: As she grieves the twin losses of her dear friend and her Chicago ministry position, she also begins to embrace the joys and challenges of a new marriage. Charissa: Overwhelmed by her pregnancy and the demands of her teaching schedule, she is in need of even more grace for herself and others. Becca: Bereft and filled with regrets, can she find hope for the future and a way home? In this final installment of the Sensible Shoes series, you're invited to travel with these beloved friends as they endure trials that test their trust and their willingness to walk an extra mile. |
| Support Info | 9780830889310 |