A Disciple's Life

I am always reading a book, though it takes me weeks to finish them. I carry one around in my purse so I can read it whenever I have extra time. This works well for me since I am barely at home and rarely have hours to sit and read. My latest book is the biography of Neal A. Maxwell called "A Disciple's Life". Elder Maxwell has always been a favorite of mine so I was excited to get to know him on a more personal level.

Another goal I had when I started this book was to find similarities and things I had in common with Elder Maxwell. I like to be able to connect somehow, on some level with everyone and having common interests is a gateway to making a connection. I am only on page 100 and there are 600 pages but I already discovered two ways I am like Elder Maxwell.

1. The author says about Maxwell "...reflecting his habit of tracking the details of other people's lives so attentively that it often surprises them." I remember everyone; their names, where and when I first met them, something about them, etc. I come across as a stalker at time when they don't really remember me. Haha!

2. He says he doesn't like to wait around and has a "let's get on with it" attitude that repeats itself often through his life.

This week has been a very sad and devastating for our single's ward. While I was reading the book a few days ago, I came across a part that made me cry and brought immediate peace to me. Elder Maxwell was talking about his experiences in Okinawa and with leukemia. "He has described both traumas as "a great spiritual adventure, one I would not want to have missed" - because here, at the perils of his life, he came to know God."