It’s always amazing how times change-how we change. Years ago, I remember wanting, if I had the chance, to meet people like Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and Bill Cosby. Well, I’m over the Will Smith thing. I’m good. I wouldn’t mind still meeting Denzel Washington. He has had a long career in Hollywood, yet he seems to speak about the wisdom he has gleaned from his faith in the Lord, his 40-year marriage to his wife and from his career. Bill Cosby? Meeting him and getting a hug from him as I competed in the triple jump was the highlight of my Penn Relays experience back in the early 1990’s. Somehow, I must admit, I don’t look back on that with the same thrill as I did back in the day. Hmmm…
Anyway, as I have gotten older (and hopefully a bit wiser), things have changed. I now wish I could have had the opportunity to meet people like Elisabeth Elliot, Lois Evans, or Tim Keller. It would be an honor to meet people like Dr. Crawford Loritts or the author of this book, Count It All Joy, Dr. John M. Perkins. With our biological parents and grandparents now deceased as well as my husband and I knee-deep in rearing six children, I understand now, more than ever, the need for Godly wisdom passed down from those of the previous generations.
I have been a long-time listener of Dr. Crawford Loritts through his Living a Legacy program on Moody Radio, and he has mentioned Dr. John Perkins as being a sort of spiritual father to him. But it wasn’t until recently that I actually took time to do a bit of research on him. Per his biography, Dr. Perkins is founder of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation for Justice, Reconciliation & Community Development. He has served as an advisor to five U. S. presidents. Dr. Perkins has been awarded sixteen honorary doctorates for his work. With the leading and strength of the Lord, he, along with his wife, Vera Mae, has helped start a daycare center, youth program, church, cooperative farm, thrift store, housing repair ministry, a health center and an adult education center. . .” (www.jvmpf.org). All of this with a 3rd grade formal education!
“Count It All Joy” is not a new book. It was published in 2021 (in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic), but the thing about truth is that it and wisdom are always relevant. Dr. Perkins says that this book serves as the last of his three-part manifesto. These are perhaps his final words to the Church, as he wrote this book at the age of 90. He was and to my knowledge still is battling cancer. Very simply, this book is about how we can trust God and have great joy in the midst of suffering. As he takes us through the story of Job, Dr. Perkins shares some of the many difficult trials he has had in his life. From the death of his mother when he was just 7 months old and the abandonment by his father to the loss of two of his children to the beatings he endured in the Jim Crow South to his present sufferings, Dr. Perkins makes it clear that God is the protagonist in the story of Job as well as in his story (and in our stories, too).
I so appreciate Dr. Perkins’ transparency in this book. We often see the manifestations of the hard work put forth by pastors and Bible teachers, but we have no clue as to the opposition and onslaught of trials that often beset them. The fact of the matter is, the Bible tells us that the devil, our adversary is roaming around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). Dr. Perkins is no stranger to this, but he has endured with joy through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I understand that many may not want to read this book, because Dr. Perkins writes with a sense of finality. He is well aware that, any day, he could wake up in the presence of the Lord. And, quite frankly, such is the case with each of us. And, let’s face it, we don’t like to talk about things like that. Many of us would rather read about things that will make us happier, healthier, stronger. We don’t automatically list suffering as something that will do that for us. Ironically, Dr. Perkins shows us how the Lord uses suffering to draw us closer to Him, thereby bringing about joy in us, renewing our minds and hearts as well as strengthening us to endure.
Count It All Joy is a relatively quick read, but chock full of wisdom. Here are three quotes from the book that jumped out at me:
“Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God. Brokenness is the stripping of self-reliance and independence from God I become broken when I realized that no amount of money or influence or status can fix my situation. I cray out to Him because I realize that He is the only one who can change my circumstances, heal my hurts, fix my dilemma, I pass the test when I realize my desperate need for Him.” page 65
“This is the great paradox of suffering! Suffering drives us deeper in Him. Suffering drives the roots of our faith deep, deep into the reservoir of His sufficiency. With each new privilege to suffer, our roots go even deeper in Him. And before you know it, we have become like the tree that David spoke of in Psalm 1. . .” page 118
“The last three books-One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love, He calls Me Friend: The Healing Power of Friendship, and Count It All Joy: The Ridiculous Paradox of Suffering-are the sum of the incarnational truths that He has taught me in my life. This is what I’ve learned from knowing this awesome God; this is the reality of the war we fought to the end. Yes, we fought to the very end and found joy in that place. These messages are a witness of how I believe we should live in a world that is fractured by racism, bigotry, strife, and so much pain. I want more than anything to encourage others to know that you can live a life of sacrifice, loving your enemies, doing good, and suffering for His name. And at the end of it all He promises paradoxical, inexpressible joy.” pages 134, 135
I highly recommend reading this book. I was encouraged to view suffering in a whole new light and may I say even embrace it. . .for the glory of God. When the time comes, I want to suffer well; I want to be able to point to Jesus and encourage others; I want to live well in light of eternity. I want to be able to truly count it all joy. I bet you do, too, so please get this book!
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