Summer Reading

I have never been a reader. I don't like reading. It's just not something that I do for enjoyment. The only problem with that is that you can learn a lot from reading, and I do want to learn. At the beginning of the Summer, I went on this retreat with an organization at my college called Chi Alpha. It is a Christian fellowship that can be found at many universities across the United States. This particular retreat was the week right after finals, and it was at the beach (in the Outer Banks of North Carolina). Chi Alpha groups from up and down the east coast from Vermont to Florida were there, about 150 of us in all.

So that is the set up. I have never read a book on my own time for enjoyment before, and I just finished my first year at UVA. At this time in my life, Chi Alpha has already made a huge impact on me. Each time a speaker came up, they recommended a book to read. I didn't get any books while I was there, but as soon as I got home I ordered some from Amazon. I order 3 books in all. The books were "7 Days that Divide the World" and "God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?" both by John Lennox. These kind of combat the notion that science and God are mutually exclusive. The third was a more informational book entitled, "How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth." The title sums up what that one is about. I read all 3 of these in about a month probably. I won't go into details about them, but they were great reads. I might blog more about them later.

Although these books didn't completely change my mindset on reading, I do enjoy it a little more than before. For me it is still more about reading for what I get out of it rather than for enjoyment at the time of reading. Hopefully that will change, but I have definitely felt God's presence. He has gifted me with more patience and discipline, and I know it is only a matter of time if I continue to seek out God that I will find true joy in reading.