I found this book when we moved my M-I-L home from a 21/2 month stay in a nursing home.( why do they call it a 'skilled nursing facility?? you are lucI found this book when we moved my M-I-L home from a 21/2 month stay in a nursing home.( why do they call it a 'skilled nursing facility?? you are lucky if there is more than one 'skilled nurse' to direct the care of 15 or more residents, the care is given by unskilled and too often uncaring 'aides', but that is another discussion) Many people gave or sent June books and she was not up to reading. I brought this one home as I had read Home by the same author, a concurrent story and enjoyed it. I found Gilead to be slow going at best and so by Memorial Day was barely halfway thru it and packed it in the trailer to read while camping. It never came out so when we went to The Thousand Islands in August and I finished Gifted Hands, I picked up Gilead and the 2nd half proved to be much more engaging. The story of the horse falling thru Main street into the Underground Railroad tunnel made me laugh out loud. Too hilarious to be real, too convoluted to be made up! Loved it. A few favorite quotes ( Gilead is a journal written by an elderly preacher for his very young son in order for the son to know his father) " Most of the young men seemed to feel that the war was a courageous thing, and maybe new wars have come along since I wrote this that seemed brave to you. That there have been wars I have no doubt. I believe that plague was a great sign to us and we refused to see it and take its meaning and since then we have had war continuously. " (referring to the influenza epidemic during WWI that rivaled the war in lives lost)
"There is an absolute dis-junction between our Father's love and our deserving. Still when I see this same dis-junction between human parents and children it always irritates me a little. I know you will be and I hope you are an excellent man and I will love you absolutely if you are not." Amen
"It was Coleridge who said Christianity is a life, not a doctrine, words to that effect. I'm not saying never doubt or question. The Lord gave you a mind so that you would make honest use of it. I'm saying you must be sure that the doubts and questions are your own, not so to speak, the mustache and walking stick that happens to be the fashion of any particular moment."
"There are a thousand, thousand reasons to live this life, each one of them sufficient."
and somewhere John Ames says that God loves each individual as an only child....more
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