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J.J. & Jude

Waiting for Morning

Waiting for Morning

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Waiting for Morning 

Hardcover - Jul 15 2001

by Cindy Crosby (Author)

Through a series of reflections on the natural world, the author offers honest yet hopeful perspectives on spiritual formation in the midst of life's challenges.
Cindy Crosby's collection of essays reads like a landlocked version of Gifts from the Sea. Living in a suburban community on the outskirts of Chicago, the author finds that nature is the ever-present metaphor that connects her to God. In her opening essay, Crosby writes of a bout with depression, and how a tiny garden helped her come to terms with a God who allowed suffering. Another essay reveals her disappointment over a homemade pond and how it teaches her about expectations and the uncertainty of life. When a summer breeze rattles her bedroom blinds. she is reminded of the winds of change that come with midlife.

In one of her most soul-stirring chapters, Crosby speaks of watching the night sky from her patio as she ponders the randomness of divine order. As a seasoned magazine writer (Christianity Today, Publishers Weekly), her own narrative stands strong beside quotes taken from Carl Sagan, Barry Lopez, and Teresa of Avila. Staring at the roof of the world, Crosby ponders how "insignificant we feel in the face of this black bowl we call night, lit up with sparks kindled from God's own hands." If you are in a time of darkness, sip these soothing essays one at a time, as if they as were a spiritual tonic. It will only take a few doses to feel their healing effect. --Gail Hudson

Review

Wonderfully original... this collection will delight and soothe readers -- Publishers Weekly, May 8, 2001

From the Author

One of my earliest memories is of being outside, "cooking" gourmet meals for my dolls using flowers I picked from my mother's perennial border. My other early memories are of books -- from Louisa May Alcott to Zane Gray - shelves and shelves of books at our house and at both of my grandparents. Most of my early childhood was spent either building forts under the forsythia bushes with my mother's best bedsheets or checking out books at the library, which was a block from my front door.

My parents provided a solid foundation for my faith. Questions were welcome, and dinnertime was always an opportunity to debate any topic. When I grappled with difficult circumstances later in my adult life, it was this firm foundation that kept me pointed toward God, even when things weren't making much sense. My simple childhood faith allowed me to later embrace the mystery of God; my love of the outdoors helped me to keep a sense of wonder about my faith; and my passion for books made me want to write it all down!

Waiting for Morning seeks to communicate that much of faith is a mystery, but God's love for us is constant, even when we feel he is far away or silent. I hope readers will find companionship, hope, and reminders of God's love and care through these simple stories of my experiences in my garden and in the outdoors.

From the Back Cover

"A beautifully written meditation on the way our interaction with the natural world can bring healing and refreshment to our soul. Crosby's honest vulnerability and acute powers of observation are reminiscent of the work of Annie Dillard." -Terry Glaspey, author of Book Lover's Guide to Great Reading

"Crosby's reflections on nature and grace are a deep comfort to we dwellers of this concrete jungle. We are taken back to the Garden, to the place of hope and glory." -Philip Gulley, author of Front Porch Tales

"Crosby has managed to recount her spiritual days and nights with details that invite us, include us, and inspire us to continue our own journeys with more hope and faith." -Vinita Hampton Wright, author of Velma Still Cooks in Leeway

"One can only hope that Waiting for Morning is just the first of many such reports . . . from the soul." -from the foreword by Phyllis Tickle

"Thoughtful, funny, warm, interesting, attentive-those words come to mind when I think of Cindy Crosby. I expect that those who read her work . . . will be as glad to have her as a companion for the Journey as I am." -Robert Benson, author of Living Prayer

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