I have spent the summer reading the Mitford series by Jan Karon. The main character is an episcopal priest. Now, you may think, just as I did, how could a book about an episcopal priest be even close to interesting? A sixty two year old priest at that. That’s what I said to my friend when she told me how she was hooked on the series. I promised to get the first one and give it a try.
Well, I was really surprised. Father Tim is who I want to be. I identified with his thoughts and prayers. I learned about “how people work” from the way he interacted with his parishioners, wife, and child. Father Tim met his wife at 62 and was afraid of love. They adopted their son when he was 21 after raising him when he was dropped on Father Tim’s doorstep at age 11. I also learned a lot more about how God and prayer “works” in people’s lives. While Father Tim and Cynthia are fictional characters, the things learned from them are not. Jan Karon created amazing characters and wove such wisdom and teaching into stories about them that hook you from book one. Definitely not some boring religious story.
Since April, Father Tim and the rest of the cast of Karon’s characters have calmed me down, given me a sense of security, taught me to give gratitude and focus more on the things I DO have than what I don’t, appreciate my home and pillow each night, and reassured me that prayer is alive and well and working all over this world.
I truly have never seen such comforting stories about a person’s life that you just can’t put down. The photo below gives you an excerpt where Father Tim talks to his son and his girlfriend. The message is a great one about love and applies to all kinds of love – not just the romantic. The books are far from “preachy” and shows you don’t need a “structure” wooden or otherwise, to know God and have Him truly work in your life. Moving through my days with Father Tim as he moved through his, was a huge boon to my journey and healing.
And so, as another day goes by, I’m worried about the last book, “Burying Father Tim”, and …I have written.
“Burying Father Tim” is not about Father Timothy Kavanaugh from Jan Karon’s “Mitford Series”. Burying Father Tim is about a Doctor going home for the funeral of his parish priest (Roman Catholic) and his reminiscing about his youth as he see his hometown…
Yes! I now know that! That wasnt clear on my kindle unless I took the time to read the synopsis – which I didnt cause I didnt want anything to do with it! Lol! Once again, I learn what happens when one assumes!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
LB
You cant give up on the things you love, not ever…
Charlotte ~ Private Practice
Sent from my iPhone…
Linda Bartosik 🙂