What Story is Your Life Telling?

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life by Donald Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoy Donald Miller's writing, and I like this book even better than Blue Like Jazz.

Basically this book encourages us to think of our lives as story. Don't like the story you're in? Then why don't you look at changing it into a better story? That's what Don did, and along the way he made new friends, went on some adventures, and made a difference in the lives of boys that don't have fathers through a mentoring program. There were portions of the book where I was just chuckling out loud, particularly the chapter featuring snow and kayaks. Don't think the book is all humor though, he also covers hard subjects like losing people you love to cancer.

There are so many great things to quote from this book, but I'll have to restrain myself. Here's a few of my favorites:

"I wonder if that's what we'll do with God when we are through with all this, if he'll show us around heaven, all the light coming in through the windows a thousand miles away, all the fields sweeping down to a couple of chairs under a tree, in a field outside the city. And we'll sit and tell him our stories, and he'll smile and tell us what they mean."

When Miller tries to comfort his cousin about the loss of her father, his Uncle Art, who was like a father to him. He can't find the words, but:

"later that night I pictured Uncle Art, and I could see him in heaven, and he was sitting at a table and there was a celebration. There was dancing and bottles of wine, and there was music. I could see him at a wedding, and I realized that's what I should have told Carol, that her dad was at a wedding."

Miller's friend Kathy is struggling with God and the events he allowed to happen in her life and the life of others. She goes to visit Ntarama in Africa, to visit the church which is the memorial to the people who died because of the terrible atrocities that occurred in the war between the Hutus and the Tutsis people. It's there she heard God's voice

"This is what happens when people walk away from me, Kathy. I have brought you to this place to show you something important.This is what happens when my compassion and love leave a place."

Such a good reminder that we are responsible to be God's hand and feet in this world.

This book is full of stories that will make you think of your life differently. I guarantee you will enjoy it!


View all my reviews