Total Page : 224
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
Publication Date : 2009 09 29
>> Some moving parts but essentially a sequel or even making of
Normally my book reviews only appear in Smart Ministry or The Equipping Ministry Blog But for those of you who don t yet receive that free ministry insights newsletter I thought I d include one here
I don t like chick flicks I tell you that up front so you won t think I m just one of those really sensitive guys that enjoys a good cry over touching stories But parts of this book will or should move you deeply
What Difference Do It Make 2009 Thomas Nelson is written by the authors of Same Kind of Different as Me That book told of the loving courageous tireless work by Deborah Hall wife of one of the co authors to get through the storms in her own marriage and life and help the homeless It proclaimed a simple message One person can make a difference In the authors words That kind of love is attainable for anyone willing to put in the time on their knees then overcome their fear and go out and get their hands a little dirty That book touched countless lives in as many ways and the stories the authors heard of how it inspired others and affected their own lives form the best content of What Difference Do It Make
Those desiring to move to a more missional mindset should pay particular attention to the sections written by Denver a formerly homeless man whose life was touched by Deborah His firsthand account of the life of a homeless person will forever change how you think of and minister to them For example
Listen at this Jesus sent the disciples out John and Mark and Nathaniel and them went into the villages When I was homeless one thing I just couldn t understand is why all these folks kept tryin to invitin me in someplace that I didn t wanna be They d come out and hand me some kinda piece a paper talkin bout Jesus loves you Come fellowship with us Now their hearts was in the right place and they just tryin to show me the love a God But seemed like they didn t understand that it just ain t that easy
For one thing them folks that invited me was all smilin and clean and I was all ragged and dirty Sides that most a em was white and I was black as a coffee bean Wadn t no way I was gon show up at their church lookin like I looked
For another thing where was I gon leave my bags with all my worldly goods my blanket and my soap and my half pint and what have you It wadn t much but wadn t no way I was gon leave it in the hood with all them fellas ready to split it up amongst themselves And I was pretty sure they didn t have no luggage check at the church
Then they d say God bless you and leave me with that piece a paper so I wouldn t forget where I was s posed to show up Course they didn t know I couldn t read
See we don t need to be trying to drag the homeless or any kinda needy people to programs to services What people needs is people
That s a longer excerpt than I would ordinarily include but I m sure the good folks at Thomas Nelson will appreciate that it s for the right reason
The book feels a little disjointed as you bounce between viewpoints both the authors and those whose lives were touched by the first book Some of it is just more detail on Ron Hall s struggles with his dad and dealing with his wife s death Some of those parts will help the reader develop deeper empathy while others just feel like emotional exhibitionism that have nothing to do with the purpose or flow of the book
Parts of the book are truly excellent other parts feel like an unfortunate sequel written by a person who only had one story to tell I was reminded of the bonus features on a DVD like the book is designed to complement and sometimes be an infomercial for The Same Kind of Different rather than a new work of it s own
I confess that I haven t read the first book I wish I had especially if it contains more content from Denver whose down to earth wisdom is profound and personally challenging Those who did will probably be eager to read What Difference Do It Make to learn more from this uneducated yet insightful man
I really appreciate the insights the book gives into the thinking of those we think about / resist / should be serving And I appreciate its message that our efforts can have multiplied and unintended effects even if it did have to sound like a commercial for the other book in the process
>> Read this book again and again
A great read Important to read it over and over It is so refreshing to read a book about real people doing real stuff while having good hearts Get one copy for yourself and several to pass on to others
>> Continuation of a story
This is basically a continuation of their first story Same Kind of Different as Me While it was interesting to learn what happened to and was happening while the authors were touring their first book how it became such a success I wasn t as moved as with their first book There seems to be a lot of rehashing of the story I was particularly puzzled about Ron s disgust for his father and all the anger he harbored How could he be so thoughtful and caring with total strangers and not love the one who had given him life I will say that there is closure by the end of the book and it brought tears to my eyes If you were a big fan of their first book then you will probably like this one too
