Chapter 7: Seeing Through the Glass
Ann unpacks two biblical stories in this chapter: Hagar and the well and Jacob wrestling with God. In dissecting the first story of Hagar, she states that: “I’m blind to joy’s well every time I really don’t want it. The well is always there. And I choose not to see it” (pg. 130). Is this true of your life? Do you choose to see other things besides joy?
In the story of Jacob wrestling with God, Ann quotes James H. McConkey: “The Lord has to break us down at the strongest part of our self-life before He can have His own way of blessing with us” (pg. 138). Are you in a wrestling match with God? What strong parts do you need broken?
Chapter 8: How Will He Not Also?
“Anything less than gratitude and trust is practical atheism” (pg. 148). Ann makes this statement as she grapples with trusting God. Do you believe this to be true? In what areas of life do you see a lack of gratitude leading to a lack of trust?
“Count blessings and find out how many of His bridges have already held” (pg. 151). Ann has an epiphany while driving one day that the lifestyle of giving thanks was building the bridge to trust in God. How might the counting of blessings in your life allow you to build that trust? Do you see that happening in your life now? Look back over your life at God’s faithfulness- how many bridges have already held? Does looking back help to move forward in trust with God?
Chapter 9: Go Lower
“Lament is a cry of belief in a good God…Complaint is the bitter howl of unbelief in any benevolent God in this moment” (pg. 175). Do you find that you tend to lament or complain? What do you believe is the true difference between these two in your life?
Ann speaks of expectations as a killer of relationships- even our relationship with God (pg. 169). Is this true for you? What expectations do you have on God? How are they effecting your relationship with Him? What would a relationship with God look like that held no expectations?
Friday, January 29th will be our last set of discussion questions on the last two chapters of the book! Have a great week, friends!
This book continues to help me find names for things I’ve thought or felt, untangle myself from myself, and allow God to begin peeling off my crazy layers! 😆
Here are some of my thoughts regarding this week’s chapters:
Chapter 7:
Joy is a very difficult thing for me, and most of the time I see other things besides joy. I know it’s not being or feeling happy, but it’s so hard to feel positivity in a negative or hard situation.
I think it’s so true how Ann mentions the belief that anger achieves more than love (page 126) – it’s so easy to get caught up in the illusion of controlling our situation and thinking that being upset will make a better, more effective difference than love.
My wrestling match with God stems from my pride and selfishness; I want my way and need my will to be broken. I need to believe God’s way is best even though it most likely looks different than my version.
Chapter 8:
I’ve never thought being ungrateful or not trusting God is practical atheism, but it definitely makes sense – we’re choosing to refuse to be satisfied with what God is doing / what He’s giving. Parenting is probably the main area where I lack gratitude and trusting in God; it’s so hard to see positive fruit! 🤪
Counting blessings helps build trust because you’re not only shifting your focus on the positive (giving thanks) but also realizing the gift was given by a giver who cares, which causes your trust to grow. God is good and gives us good gifts, and by not giving thanks for them, we aren’t able to have our trust increase. I realized I have had a surface-level trust of God: rather than counting my blessings, I’ve expected them (not in a good anticipatory way), and therefore not experienced joy.
Chapter 9:
Complaining is sadly so easy to do!? I do it way too much! We somehow think complaining will make things better, but all it does is make us more depressed. It’s one thing to process what’s going on, but complaining only leads to bitterness, resentment, and anger. Lamenting though is a feeling of sadness or unsettling based on what’s happened or happening.
Expectations….it’d be so much easier without them! And yet there has to be a standard, right? Just not our standard – and that’s why we get tripped up! I think lamenting our expectations can be healthy given the right circumstances; if we complain about our unmet expectations though that’s a different story. We have to step back and see why we care about our expectations in the first place and evaluate if they’re truly needed. This is a trap I fall into constantly: am I holding onto my standards because they’re really good or do I just want my way? And furthermore, why are we measuring by our standards in the first place? God sets the standard and yet we think we know better and take matters into our own hands. As I mentioned earlier, I have realized I expect God to bless me, that things will work out for me – that is so humbling to see written out! 😬
This mentality makes it so much harder for me to trust God because I’m thinking I’m in charge, that I call the shots – and if something is difficult or I suffer in some way, I am disappointed and confused that God would let that happen.
If I didn’t hold God to my expectations, or better yet not have any in general, I would be so much less stressed and free to see Him working.
It seems like it’s all a common theme, doesn’t it? It’s like pride, control, our own expectations… it comes back to an “it’s all about me” mentality. All that it leads to is a closed hand to God and to His help in all of it. And a lack of trust leads to feeling alone and then having to lean on ourselves again. Just realizing this cycle! Then of course it leads to complaining and anger and lack of joy. Perhaps when we learn pure humility we will take ourselves out of the equation completely and see all as aa gift from a good caring Creator?!?!