RachelleHarp

I finished reading The Giver by Lois Lowry recently and fell in love with it! What a thought-provoking book. I know it seems to be a pretty standard read in school these days, but it wasn’t published until after I graduated high school, so I have been a little slow to get to it. I’m glad I picked it up.

Jonas, the main character, lives in a perfect world, but must open his eyes to the reality of pain and truth in the world. He begins to see colors as he becomes more aware of what is really going on around him. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but for dystopian lovers out there, this book is a definite must read.

It made me think about how we’re always trying to get rid of the bad things and pain in our lives. Don’t get me wrong – no one likes that stuff, but it seems like that old adage no pain no gain is there for a reason. I learned that the hard way when I did P90X last summer – wow did that hurt! But, the crazy thing is, I felt so much better after doing the exercises each day. And I confess, I am not an athletic person by nature, nor do I love to sweat. That is the last thing I want to do most days.

But, if we aren’t willing to risk the pain we might endure from a broken relationship, how will we ever find that significant love in our lives? Or find the things we’re passionate about doing with our time? Or how about taking the risk of taking a new job or moving to a new place? They can be scary for sure, but if we don’t try it, we never know the good things that would come of it. Lois Lowry gives us some great ideas to reflect on in her classic book. Check it out if you’re looking for a good read!