Rating:
Summary:
After some voluntary advice from Jay Jarvis, Neil Rucker sets out from Ecuador for South Carolina. He arrives at the airport and Steve, his new roommate, was nowhere to be seen. Setting the standard for the rest of his furlough, Neil makes the most of it. He soon meets up with Steve, and they become instant friends. What Jay neglected to tell Neil was that all of the Greenville ladies had taken up the quest of church hop-scotching. Desperate for a date, he makes a goal to date every girl in Greenville. His three top choices, who are as different as the sun and grass, are blonde Darcy, redhead Lydia, and raven-haired Alexis. Soon he met all three and found the one who was right for him. Fourth of July found the five of them (Steve, Neil, Lydia, Darcy, and Alexis) at the beach and full of adventure. After day one, one of the girls left the Presbyterian group for the Pentecostals. As romance rekindled and bloomed, they received bad news that led them to leaving early and driving back in the middle of the night. North Hills Presbyterian church creates a mission team of eight who are sent to Ecuador to help Allie and Jay. There in Ecuador, Neil’s old mentor from Mexico bestows some relational advice on Neil, Steve, and Jay, which leads to some life changing choices.
Analysis:
Once again Ray Blackston brings his best in A Delirious Summer. His zany writing style makes the book every so much more enjoyable. He can paint the most interesting picture in the most peculiar manner. He portrays Christian guys and girls, not as snooty religious fanatics, but as normal people that they are. Everyone is tempted into depression by loneliness even those who are not truly alone. The story is a refreshing take on the adventures of life telling the world that there is a purpose behind everything in life.
Impact:
A Delirious Summer impacted me in many ways. As soon as I closed the book, I wanted to climb out onto the roof to have a chat with God. It showed me that guys struggled with living alone as much as girls do. The main lesson that I learned was that you are never on a break. You may take time off from work or school or church, but you are always working, always learning, and always working with God. Just because it isn’t Sunday doesn’t mean that God isn’t there. He has a plan, and it is the best for us.
“We spend vast amounts of time and energy crafting a thesis in our heads of how life should play out, then the almighty God spends an incredibly brief amount of time blowing our thesis to bits.” ( A Delirious Summer 9 )
“After I’d sat up there awhile and the night air had taken of a dewy complexion, it occurred to me that I had no business being on a roof and asking questions of God. God had already spoken—Team Looney Tune was headed for the jungle.” ( A Delirious Summer 268 )
“The God of all rooftops would not let me be hasty and miss my way. Instead, it was only within the way—this delirious furlough and it many tangents—that I’d discovered that what I was looking for was more than simply a mate. I wanted to belong, to feel a part of that ever-flowing whole. The ultimate key of G, the key of grace, had proven all-sufficient, music to live by.” ( A Delirious Summer 330-331 )
No comments:
Post a Comment