cover image If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me What to Do: And Other Ways We Miss Out on God’s Adventures

If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me What to Do: And Other Ways We Miss Out on God’s Adventures

Jessie Clemence. Discovery, $12.99 ISBN 978-1-62707-190-1

Clemence (There’s a Green Plastic Monkey in My Purse) uses a humorous metaphor to approach a serious topic—what does God call a person to do?—in order to soften its edges a bit and make it less daunting to the faithful. Clemence incorporates stories from Scripture to illustrate the ways God reached out to people in the Bible to accept a calling—from Noah to Moses, Esther to Ruth. She also includes stories from people she knows who have received callings and how they reacted to them. She explains that callings aren’t always huge—such as moving to Africa to open an orphanage—but can be as small as caring for a failing family member, and asserts that readers simply need to take their fingers out of their ears and listen for Him intentionally. This is a refreshing read for those who may be feeling anxious over when to answer a calling, or how to know what an actual calling is. Clemence’s take on the subject will help ease minds. (May)