Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World

by Bob Goff

That’s because love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn’t just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it. Simply put: love does.

Finding things and losing things is what the Bible is all about. God even seemed to encourage it. He talked about losing your job, or even your life, if you want to find it. He talked about losing your status to find real power. He shows that Jesus comes looking for us because people, like sheep, have a knack for getting lost.

God finds us in our failures and our successes, and He says that while we used to think one way about things, now He wants us to think another way about those same things. And for me, I’ve realized that I used to be afraid of failing at the things that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.

I used to think I could shape the circumstances around me, but now I know Jesus uses circumstances to shape me.

And when each of us looks back at all the turns and folds God has allowed in our lives, I don’t think it looks like a series of folded-over mistakes and do-overs that have shaped our lives. Instead, I think we’ll conclude in the end that maybe we’re all a little like human origami and the more creases we have, the better.

I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.

I used to think I had to be somebody important to accomplish things, but now I know Jesus uses ordinary people more.

I remember reading this quote from C. S. Lewis where he says, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

It taught me that when God is big enough and loves me enough to say He forgives me, I should actually believe Him. I mean, I shouldn’t keep feeling bad about all of the times I’ve messed up because that’s ignoring what God said, just like Lynn ignored what I said. When I don’t trust God’s forgiveness, it’s kind of like saying I really don’t believe He’s that good.

when Jesus invites us on an adventure, He shapes who we become with what happens along the way.

I used to think God wouldn’t talk to me, but now I know I’m just selective with what I choose to hear.

I only hear the things from God I want to hear, and it makes me wonder if He doesn’t think I’m going a little bit deaf.

It’s not that I haven’t asked God to talk to me. I’ve asked for a paragraph, a sentence, a phrase, a word. I’ve even asked if I could just buy a vowel.

If you ever want to talk about any of the ideas in this book that ping you, my phone number is (619) 985-4747. Give me a call sometime if I can be helpful.