A Few Thoughts on the book "Kisses From Katie"

I just finished the book Kisses from Katie. I won't write a review for there are plenty out there (see a video clip here). But in short, it is about a young lady (Katie) who at the age of 18 decides to leave her home in the States to live in Uganda teaching Kindergarden to children. This leads to God opening the door of service in which she not only adopts (or is in the process) thirteen children but becomes "mommy" throughout the community. Today her ministry has grown more than she imagined. She has become the "Mother Teresa" of Uganda. An incredible story of sacrifice (to which she responds, "...I believe that nothing is a sacrifice in light of eternity with Christ.") that is hard to find anywhere for a young person in her age range.

Here are some thoughts after reading the book:

1. What Katie has done is not a calling for everyone to be a missionary in a foreign country. Her calling is unique. She doesn't believe this is for everyone but she does believe we are all called to serve Christ wherever he calls us without any reservation. I do believe this as well.

2. Katie mentions how after living in Uganda for a year she moves back to the States for a period of time and it becomes extremely hard for her to depend on God because she has no need of anything. In Uganda she had to depend on God for everything and found herself seeking Him continually. I find this to be true as well. We can pretty much live our lives without God here in America. Just our busyness is enough to entangle us away from Christ.

3. Katie challenges me to show the love of Christ to everyone, especially children. As young as she is, she has learned what many of us have a long way to go.

4. We can't save the world from their outward conditions (or inward) but it is our calling to share the Gospel both in word and in practice. She realizes this and writes:

"God assures me this is okay. If I continue to preach the gospel, and more important, live the gospel here-even if outward conditions never change or change slowly-and these people can live eternally with Jesus in heaven some day, a few years of suffering will pale in comparison."

Though I don't agree with the world "more important" in this quote-I find both to be as important- her book shows both happening simultaneously.

You can find more about her here.