A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
Sometimes when I finish a book, I’ll recommend it to my friends, discuss it with someone who has read it before, or maybe blog about it.
Most times, though, the book is placed on a shelf to gather dust until I pack it up to move or give it way.
But there are rare occasions when I will finish a book and immediately want to turn to page one and start over again, convinced that there are more morsels of truth to be obtained.
One of the first times this happened was when I read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. The most recent instances was when I reached the last page of Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Funny, huh?
To say I enjoyed this book would be a grave understatement. I was touched by what I found among the pages.
Miller is a master storyteller. Whether it’s his life, or the saga of another he has come into contact with, Miller brings stories to life.
Tears welled in my eyes as I read about his friend Jim’s heartbreaking journey of losing his wife. My heart felt excitement as he described Bob and his family and the adventure they were living. And I felt deep hope as Don shared the story of “Iron Mike” finishing the bike ride.
But most of all, I did a lot of examining. Million Miles was born out of Miller’s own examination of his life as it relates to the structure of a story. He didn’t like the story he was living, so he did something about it.
As he changed his story, as he wrestled with choices, struggles, challenges, and obstacles, I looked at my own life, my own story. I realized that I have lived some great adventures, but I largely play it safe.
So, I’m doing something about it. I’m going to live a better story. I’m going to take risks, seize opportunities, challenge my comfort and safety. You could say I’m going to embrace whimsy…
“The key to living a great story is not being afraid to embrace whimsy, that nagging idea that life could be magical; it could be special if we were only willing to take a few risks.”
I challenge you to read this book, to look at your life, and live a better story.
