Some of my favorite books come off P&R Publishing’s presses. I had good hopes for this one, but it didn’t fit the bill.
Small Things, Big Things: Inspiring Stories of Everyday Grace by Michael A. Milton was released in November. I love the premise. I love the idea of finding God in all the details and parts of life. I want to see how I am just a small part of a much bigger story.
I did myself a disservice by flying blindly. I hadn’t heard of Milton previously and should have gotten to know him better before I read this book. The book has a lot of biographical tidbits in it, and they were slightly difficult to piece together at the same time as I was trying to hear the 52 lessons he was teaching. Milton wrote this book over an extended period as letters/essay to his Chattanooga congregation. The writing was very pastoral. I think understanding him better, becoming more familiar with him, would have helped. Even watching these videos first would have helped.
His writing kept reminding me of Max Lucado’s for some reason, though they didn’t pull me in as far as Lucado used to (it’s been a dozen years since I’ve read him). His home-spun, salt-of-the-earth, devotional illustrations were often quite enjoyable. And I’m sure this genre will fit the bill for a good number of people.
The book itself is beautiful. It’s a great cover, a wonderful size that feels right in the hand, bright paper; it smells great [I hate having to mention how much I like the odor of books]. But the content didn’t stir me like I was hoping. I look forward to hearing though how it will be a help to others.
