Friday, January 7, 2011

It Just Might Change Your Life



I recently read Blind Hope by  Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher. I was particularly excited about this book because I love a good dog story. Also, my family used to raise guide dogs to help the blind, so when I heard that this book was about a blind dog helping a sighted person, I knew I had to read it to see what it was all about. The book arrived and once I started reading it I had such a hard time putting it down. In the book, author Kim Meeder talks about the impact that blind dog Mia had on her owner, Laurie Sacher. What I was not expecting was the impact this book would have on me. 

In the story, Laurie explains how once her dog (Mia) went blind, Mia had to learn to trust her owner (Laurie) even though she couldn’t see her. She had to pay close attention to hear how and where Laurie was leading her. She had to trust that although she couldn’t see Laurie, Laurie was still there loving her and protecting her and had her best interests in mind. Laurie explained how she came to realize how similar Mia’s relationship with her was to our relationship with God: we can’t see Him, but we know He is there. We have to trust that although we can’t see Him, he is still there loving and protecting us and He has our best interests in mind.  These are all things that Laurie already knew, but the full impact had never truly hit her until she witnessed her relationship with Mia. 

This quote, taken from the book, really hit me:

“Just as [Laurie’s] dog had run away from her, she had run away from God. Instead of running to God, she had spent her life running after everything but God. How could she follow a voice she had hard but had never taken the time to actually understand? How could she expect God to lead her life when she had repeatedly chosen not to follow him? Just like her dog’s relationship with her, Laurie had not yet spent enough time in God’s presence to truly know him either.” (p. 46)

This book provided me with a new perspective on ideas I already knew. Through reading this book I have been encouraged to spend more time in God’s presence so that I can grow to know Him better. To trust Him in all things even though I cannot see Him. Things I already knew, and things that can be hard to put into practice.

Before I end this, I have to also mention that the ranch that Kim and her husband Troy run (where Laurie works) sounds absolutely wonderful……

I highly recommend reading Blind Hope. If nothing else, you will enjoy reading about the adventures that Laurie has with Mia. And you never know…the book just might change your life.

Special thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the free review copy of this book! 


**Edited to add: Please visit this page to see my original review on the Waterbrook Multnomah page. Please rank my review, 1-5 stars, as this gives me the chance to be entered for prizes!**

1 comment:

Thank you for your comment!