Ever wondered about the meaning of the word bittersweet? A definition taken from the oxford dictionary is: - …
“Arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain” …:
Based on this definition, won’t you agree that life is or can be bittersweet … when in a split second; all the joy and happiness we feel can suddenly be tinged with sadness for a reason and for a season? But guess what? God uses these bittersweet seasons of change to refine our character for the better.
This brings me to the introduction of the book we just finished reading …. "bittersweet" by Shauna Niequist.
I found bittersweet relatively easy to read primarily because of the various short chapters and was able to pick it up and put it down effortlessly. Although every topic did not appeal and apply to me, I still enjoyed reading bittersweet. The chapter on grace was very refreshing and one quote in particular caught my attention:
….… "Grace isn't about having a second chance; grace is having so many chances that you could use them through all eternity and never come up empty......
There are other interesting and wise quotes scattered throughout the book. A couple I found thought-provoking are:
On page 90 –
..... "Now is your time. Become, believe, and try. Walk closely with people you love, and with other people who believe that God is very good and life is a grand adventure. Don't spend time with people who make you feel like less than you are. Don't get stuck in the past, and don't try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven't yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep travelling honestly along life's path."
and on page 240 -
……“My life is a story about who God is and what He does in a human heart.”
I give Shauna credit for her honesty and vulnerability which I find quite inspiring. I am really looking forward to meeting her at the Kerith Community Church – Unique - REAL2012 women’s conference taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of June.
I will recommend bittersweet to both Christians and non-Christians to read.
If you have already read this book, please post your comments and thoughts.
Enjoy!
Love and blessings,
Ope
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Synopsis
In her follow-up book to Cold Tangerines, author Shauna Niequist shifts her gaze to the challenges and blessings of change in Bittersweet. Drawing from her own experiences in a recent season of pain and chaos, she explores the bits of wisdom and growth we earn the hard way, through change, loss, and transition, and offers her own reflections on what brought her hope along the way.
'The idea of bittersweet is changing the way I live, unraveling and re-weaving the way I understand life. Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness. 'It's the practice of believing that we really do need both the bitter and the sweet, and that a life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. Bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines on our faces and the calluses on our hands. Sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity. Bittersweet is courageous, gutsy, audacious, earthy.........
Niequist, a keen observer of life with a lyrical voice, writes with the characteristic warmth and honesty of a dear friend: always engaging, sometimes challenging, but always with a kind heart. You will find Bittersweet savory reading, indeed. 'This is the work I'm doing now, and the work I invite you into: when life is sweet, say thank you, and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you, and grow.'
