“31 Stories of Loving God as an Introvert” has turned out, like the best of newly discovered books and first-time recipes, to be something quite different from what I imagined.
Some stories I sketched in advance never made it onto the blog; others introduced themselves like missing jigsaw puzzle pieces as it progressed. Everything took more time and thought — sometimes more courage — than I’d anticipated. Everything I wrote about introversion in the introduction still holds.
In the end, the stories were simply for God and for you, whom He loves, and I hope that shone through.
Favorite 31-Day Reads
The 31 day challenge turned out to be a reading feast as sumptuous as I’d hoped, and I want to share some favorites here with you:
- I once thought my series might be about ways that a Christ-following introvert can reach out to those around her, but this series about being a good neighbor wove experience and practical ideas together much better than I would have
- these very short, real-life family stories made me laugh out loud and thank God for my own
- I read these 31 beautiful lessons for daughters with a pang of bittersweetness and many nods as I look toward the women that my own, God willing, will someday become
- each post here about keeping a quiet heart, inspired by Elisabeth Elliot’s book, underscores the great challenges and much greater worth of this endeavor
- I can’t remember the last time I went on a run, but I have dreams aplenty, and these posts on running free with the dreams of your heart fed me with their gorgeous combination of truth, gentleness and honesty
- a trip to the land of motherhood, styled after Compassion blogger trips, was everything I hoped it would be — candid, funny, and poignant, all the while re-centering my focus on Christ
- and 31 Letters to London was a constant place of retreat, full of the clear air of grace needed for proper Sabbath-rest — including the aroma of market-fresh loaves of bread.
Favorite Posts from 31 Stories of Loving God as an Introvert
I am as objective about the usefulness of my writing as I am about which parent my daughters resemble more, so these posts are culled from the feedback of kind readers:
When All You Want Is a Quiet Corner Where You Can Create
When You Are Afraid You’ve Broken Everything
How to Climb Out of a Weary Mind
When You’re Tempted to Walk Away from Family in Christ
The Terrible Awkwardness of Grief
Learning to Dance with Abandon
In November
I’m glad to have established a daily routine for writing, and at the same time, I’m also looking forward to more time for thought, rest, laughter, and weekday pancakes. So I will be returning to twice-a-week posts, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
But November brings delicious anticipation, too, because in this month of Thanksgiving I’ll share a few stories of finding gratitude in the most unexpected times and places, and I’ll see if I can get the girls to join me for a little project.
I’ll also be taking up my pen to write Sun Steeped Letters: letters from our home, with a continuing invitation to trace the truth and beauty of God’s glory in our ordinary rhythms — yours and mine.
The first one will be winging over sometime in the first two weeks, so do let me know here if you’d like to receive them.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to pull up a chair and a fragrant cup of comfort, I’ll see you back here for the stories.
It’s been an honor and pleasure to have you stop by.
– Amy
This is the final post of 31 Stories of Loving God as an Introvert.
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