I have been a fan of Brennan Manning ever since I heard him speak at a Recovery seminar in the Chicago suburbs about a decade ago. I remember that his talk touched on Don Quixote and Dulcinea. He used this discussion to show how God loves us and thinks us beautiful not because of who we are and how we look to Him, but merely because we are His.
Moreover, I remember that he ended with a prayer that I wish I could have fully jotted down and framed on my wall. It went something like this: "May all your dreams be thwarted, may your goals be frustrated, may your expectations be dashed ... so that you can fully rest in the all-sufficient power of His grace." It has stuck with me for years.
Brennan Manning reminds us to "Never confuse your perception of yourself with the mystery that you really are accepted." He also counsels, "there is only one thing God asks of us - that we be men and women of prayer, people who live close to God, people for whom God is everything and for whom God is enough (emphasis mine). That is the root of peace. We have that peace when the gracious God is all we seek." I find his words on the freedom we have in God's grace to be extremely encouraging.
It was also interesting to read as he made mention of Amy Welborn. I thought to myself, "I know that name. Why do I know that name???"
So, I searched and it came back to me. Amy Welborn writes a blog called Charlotte Was Both. Her husband, Michael Dubruiel, died back in January and I was touched by the prophetic words in his final essay.
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