Book Review:  An Unquenchable Thirst –Following Mother Theresa in Search of Love, service and an Authentic Life-by Mary Johnson

Mother Theresa stands atop of my list of people I admire the most. In a world that worships celebrities, she is of another kind of celebrity. Draped simply in a whilte sari with a blue border, Mother had acquainted princesses to paupers with the same genuine smile and humble meaner.

So, when I spotted the book-An Unquenchable Thirst –Following Mother Theresa in Search of Love, Service and an Authentic Life, on the shelf on my local library, I grabbed it at once. It is a memoir of an ex-nun at Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

As Sister Donata, the author Mary Johnson had been a nun for twenty years at the mission until she left it in 1997. Drawn by the picture of Mother Theresa on the cover of Times magazine in 1975 and reading about the poor dying on the streets of Calcutta, the high school student from Texas decided to follow her heart and join the Missionaries of Charity.

 In her memoir, the author vividly shares an honest picture of her ups and down experiences within the walls of her community. By writing about her meetings with Mother Theresa and her travel with Mother as her personal aid to Sweden, she gives a glimpse of the saint in close shot. Also, the author takes us inside the Vatican to give us a rare view of the interior and her audience with Pope Paul VI. She also give us peek of Princess Diana’s visit with Mother. 

In her unique way, the author had weaved her twenty year vocation period in this well written, humor sprinkled book. It was such a page turner that I was able to finish the 500 paged book in  just five days.

Donata found her working with the poor, even with the gypsy community rewarding. Yet, independent spirit and questioning mind got her into trouble with her superiors. Obedience to authority at any cost seemed senseless and became her biggest challenge. Restriction to build any friendship with fellow sisters further grated on her. Unable to share her inner turmoil with a friend drove her seek comfort in a relationship with the priest to whom she went for confession.

 With courage and honesty, the author reveals her struggle with sexuality, obedience, her inability to be creative and productive in her service, and the physical and mental strain brought by over work, guilt and lack of understanding from some of her superiors. Though privileged to study at Regina Mundi, the Ivy League of ecclesiastical schools, a prestige assignment offered to fewer than on in a hundred missionaries of Charity and even found her eligible to revise The  Constitutions -the new Code of Canon Law, Donata was denied the promotion to become the Superior post she deserved until the very last. How painful and degraded she would have felt to serve under the novices she had once trained.

On page 222, we could read her conversation with God, just before she asked permission from Mother to take her final vows.

 “Lord, I think we both know I’m not going to be perfect. I can only promise to do

my best as a Missionary of Charity according to my understanding. I won’t try to live someone else’s model again. Are You okay with that?

Such an openness to God reveals Donata’s trust and reliance in Him, despite the expectation of those above her.

In no way does the author intends to stain the image of the Missionaries of Charity or their service. Instead, through this book she brings out the overlooked human need of the sisters like friendship, physical discomfort due to overwork, sickness etc. The book could be an eye opener for those who dive into a vocation with over enthusiasm and too little awareness of themselves for such a commitment.

Along with the satisfaction of reading a well written, humor sprinkled memoir, I’ve some take away as given below to help me in my own spiritual quest.

              1.   “ Silence  gives us a new outlook on life. 

                      In it we are filled with the energy of God   Himself that makes us do all things                           with joy.”

               2     The less we think of ourselves, the more God thinks of us.

               3.    Let Jesus use you without consulting you.

              4.       Be faithful and persevering.

              5.      To forgive means to be willing to suffer from someone until your loving                                   kindness  heals  them.

                            The Power of Silence

I. In silence, I can hear the small voice-the soft whisper of God.

2. Silence makes me to hear the pain pangs of those who are hurting.

3 Silence makes me to realize how much  un-needed words I speak out and how little I listen when         others speak.

4. Silence creates a space for me to think and contemplate.

5  Silence distracts the chattering around me and make me focus on the awesomeness of the                      surrounding and the mystery of life.

6. Silence instills humility and gratitude towards God.

7  Silence enables me to rethink and make better choices.

8 Silence dispels confrontation and stifle anger outbursts.

9 Silence has a catalytic effect for prayer and meditation.

10. Silence makes the space sacred and conducive for creativity.

Earth's Crammed with Heaven

Earth's crammed with heaven
And every common bush afire with God
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberriess.
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more from the first similitude!





       Love Abiding

...We abide
Not on this earth, but for a little space
We pass upon it; and while so we pass,
God through the dark hath set the Light of Life
With witness for Himself, the Word of God,
To be among us Man, with human heart,
And human language, thus interpreting
The One great Will incomprehensible
only so far as we in human life
And able to receive it.

(taken from The complete Works of Oswald Chambers)

Book Review: Why God Allows Us to Suffer by Kevin Tewes.

Many theologians and writers had tried to provide reasonable answer to satisfy our never ending question-How could a loving and all powerful God allows pain and evil to dwell on earth?
Some have claimed that suffering is used by God for character building purposes. Others have argued it to be the fair retribution of of wrongful acts or the free- willed decision making by the individual or society around.

Kevin Tewes delves deeper into the problem of pain with a different lens. In Part 1 of the book, he make us to focus on the main four characters of God-all powerful, loving, wise and just.
In Part 2, he freshen up our memory of the story of Creation and Fall and methodologically reason out why pain and evil still exist.

The Great Commandment requires us to love God whole heartedly, and to love our fellow beings with no selfish motives. When we violate the commandment to love, the problem of pain shows up,

God, who made us in His own image wants us to love-the central purpose of human existence. And humanity exists only because God prioritized love over justice when the first act of sin was committed.

Tewes explains it beautifully as follows:
Indeed the problem of pain is unsolvable when one approaches it unmindful of the fact that love cannot occur without the presence of certain prerequisites. When unawareness of this fact is combined with a dismissive attitude regarding the consequence of sin, or a superficial understanding of the nature and character of God, the result is always the same-the conclusion that God is either not powerful enough or loving enough to prevent pain.

A must read book for insightful concepts on the problem of pain and suffering.

I received a complimentary review copy of the book through Bookcrash in exchange for an honest review.

                                Selected from Pilgrim's Progress


                 " I longed to walk along an easy road
                 And leave behind the dull routine of home
                Thinking in other fields to serve my God
                But Jesus said, "my time has not yet come."

                I longed to sow the seed in other soil
               To be unfettered in the work and free
               To join with other laborers in their toil
                But Jesus said, "Tis not My choice for thee."

               I longed to leave the desert and be led
               To work where souls were sunk in sin and shame
               That I might win them; but the Master said,
               " I have not called thee, publish here My name."

              I longed to fight the battle of my King
              Lift high His standards in the thickest strive.
              But my great Captain bade me wait and sing
              songs of His conquests in my quiet life.

              I longed to leave the uncongenial sphere
              where all alone I seemed to stand and wait
              To feel I had some human helper near
              But Jesus bade me guard one lonely gate.

             I longed to leave the round of daily toil
             where no one seemed to understand or care
             But Jesus said, "I chose for thee this soil
            That thou might raise for Me some blossoms rare.

            And now I have no longing, but to do
            At home or else afar, His blessed will
            To work amid the many or the few
            Thus "Choosing not to choose" my heart is still.

Book Review-Your Story Matters by Emra Smith

               
"God takes your story, which is composed of all you have experienced, wrapped in your personality, skills and the person you are, and molds you to become more than you can dream of."writes Emra Smith, the author of this 73 paged book Your Story Matters.

An easy to read paperback that can be slipped into your purse to be read at your lunch break or on travels.

 In the first chapter, the author tells her personal story that is intertwined with pain caused by parental abandonment in childhood, her unfulfilled expectations in marriage leading to relationship outside marriage, divorce followed by loneliness and how God intervened and turned her life around.

In the next eight short chapters, which read more like a devotional, the author encourages the readers to see the importance of everyday life, and pay attention to the little stories, events and experiences they normally overlook.

The title of the book speaks for itself what the author strongly believes and what she wants to convey through this book. Her message can be summarized as follows;
However big or small, challenging or mundane our stories may be, every one's story does matter.. Mindful sharing of  one's story during a dark time helps in the healing process,
Cease to be busy; rest in God and spend more time with Him.
Pause.Ponder.Leave all the unanswered questions behind.
Be more. Live more. Love more.

At the end of the book, helpful scriptures and books for reading are provided.

My thoughts:
A well written, inspirational book.
I liked the bold step Emra Smith took in revealing  her part in the relationship outside her marriage and making herself vulnerable in order to help those who had made bad choices and living with guilt and regret.
If not watchful, even a Christian with strong faith could give into temptation and suffer the repercussions, her story reveals.
 By telling about how God had filled her void and turned her life around for greater purpose, the author brings comfort and hope to such audience through this book.

I would have preferred if the author had added more anecdotes (small stories) and thereby added more pages to the book and weight to her story..
Definitely, it is a helpful book for personal growth and Christian living.

Emra Smith is an inspirational speaker, author of the book, Teatime Stories books and Life Coach.
Find her at EmraSmith.com

I received a complimentary review copy of this book through Bookcrash, in exchange for an honest review.