Book Review: 10 Days Without
Book Review 10 Days Without
If there is only one book that you read this year, I really hope you will pick up 10 Days without.
Life is full of good intentions and we all have them. I even have a list of my own. However, how many of them are we accomplishing?
I will be honest, when I began reading this book I had only made it to the Introduction and I wanted to throw it. Why? Was it because it was a terrible read? No! It was because I was convicted that early in the book. Conviction is a funny thing sometimes, isn’t it? Fortunately, I didn’t throw the book (partly because it was on my kindle….lol). I continued to read and with each page I was convicted, inspired and motivated.
Have you ever sat back and thought about how we are to actually BE the hands and feet of Jesus? Have you wondered if there is more in this life? More that I can do? More that I can show? Less of me and more of God? We hear the cliche often, yet what do we do about it? Have you ever felt you loved God, yet were not close to him? It’s time we DO something to bridge that gap. Yet, what do you do? Have you ever felt that you’re just one person and certainly couldn’t make a difference? Or could you?
The more I read the more God pressed on my heart. So many days I complain. I gripe and feel like I don’t have enough, can’t do enough, am not enough. Financially, as a military family, we are getting close to retirement (20 years is SO close for my hubby!) and finances are a topic of discussion. How do we pay the bills? Is there enough for this or enough for that? We are supposed to trust that God will provide! Reading this book, it was right there – here in this country, we have what Daniel in his book refers to as #thirdworldproblems. You know what I am talking about right? The coffee shop was out of my favorite flavor – #thirdworldproblems. I can’t find anything to wear in my overflowing closet – #thirdworldproblems. I could go on and on about the things we complain about here. The things we feel are a sure crisis but I really want to dive more into this book for you.
In the first chapter of the book, Daniel decided to give up shoes for 10 days. No shoes…no exceptions. I won’t go into detail, so you’ll just have to read the book 🙂 However, shoes are a touchy subject for me. I might have a small addiction to boots, flip flops, glitter, plain, bows, bright colored, subdued….shoes! I love them!!! I need them!! I got pretty squirmy when he asked me to go count how many pairs of shoes I have. Actually, I got really squirmy ‘because he even said it twice! I kept thinking that in just boots alone I had about 20 pairs (did I just type that?). The reason Daniel decided to go 10 days without shoes was to bring awareness to folks who have no shoes, especially in other countries. So he made no exceptions in the restrooms, the gas stations, or anywhere else he went. Reading that chapter after squirming about how many pairs of shoes I have in my closet I felt empowered. What could I do to be the hands and feet of Jesus? How could I bring awareness?
I won’t go through all the Chapters but I do want to touch on another 10 Days Without that Daniel did – 10 Days without legs. This chapter was so personal for many reasons. The first reason is we were stationed near the Washington, DC, area for 2 years. During that time, the kids and I got our care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This is the hub for Wounded Warriors as they come back to the states after being injured in the war. My kids learned about Soldiers with missing legs, arms, or both. I taught my boys to jump up and always give them their seat, always respect them for their sacrifices, and most of all to talk to them. They all had a story. They were all real people. It was at Walter Reed that I met a young Soldier who was missing 2 legs and an arm and his wife had just recently had a baby. I got to talking with this wonderful family and it was humbling. This Soldier didn’t blame the War, nor was he mad at the Army. He didn’t complain about his situation. More so than that, he had absolutely no problems holding his baby. He was proud to have served and when I choked out my “Thank you for Serving” and “We are honored to meet you”, he told me he was proud of his service.
In this chapter, Daniel takes it further by really understanding what it’s like to live without legs. Let me tell you, it is a truly humbling experience. The more I read and talked about this chapter with my oldest, he was ready to begin the challenges of each chapter. I can’t recall a time when he was this motivated for a challenge of this magnitude! Most of you who have been reading my blog know my oldest has Aspergers. While he knows he has it, we have taught him that it is just a diagnosis and that God is the one in charge. We have taught him that he can be anything or do anything God calls him to. He has some quirks, but he honestly does very well. I was humbled at him wanting to jump in and raise awareness for people with disabilities. In this chapter, Daniel spoke about Autism and mental health diagnosis. I couldn’t help but cry because my son wants to help others because he doesn’t see himself as “disabled” in any way. Thank you Lord for that outlook and confirmation.
I truly enjoyed this book, including the kick in the pants (or skirt lol) to get up and do something – anything – to raise awareness and to help others. While some of the things that Daniel does is probably considered extreme, I didn’t think so. I thought they were brilliant. I also like how these ideas are incorporated for family participation. Having said that, my family and I plan to make a list and dive right in! I will come back and blog about it when we begin and I would encourage you all to do it with us!
So if you only read one book this year, pick this one. It was wonderful.
Here is more about Daniel:
Daniel has a B.S. in Business Administration from Appalachian State University, and is a graduate of the Focus Leadership Institute. In 2005, he spent a summer in Romania with Livada helping run a summer camp for orphans. Daniel spent two years as a sales associate for Cornerstone Bookstore in college, where he also lead worship for Campus Christian Fellowship. He then became the Director of Marketing for Asheville’s Fun Depot and Brookstone Lodge in Asheville, NC. In 2010, Daniel became the Director of Content and Marketing for Axis, and is now a Broadcast Producer for Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. Originally from North Carolina, Daniel lives in Colorado with his wife Rebecca, and their three kids Noah, Finley, and Ava.
Connect with Daniel:
danielryanday.com
facebook.com/danielryanday
twitter.com/danielryanday
Leave me a comment, would you be willing to go 10 Days Without? 🙂
In CHRIST,
Laura
***I received 10 Days Without from Blogging for Books for free for an honest and fair review.
