The Leap Out of Faith

In Tara Westover's wildly successful memoir Educated , she documents her unlikely transformation from her parents' brand of anti-government, anti-education, homeopathic prepper beliefs, to a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge and, well, a wildly successful memoirist. I won't go into a lot of detail here--if you haven't read it, you should--but I just want to make a few observations. Tara's decision to take the ACT and enroll in university, without ever having any formal education in public schools, was a huge step, and was certainly critical in her transformation. But it occurred to me that Tara could have just as easily returned home from school with nothing more than a music degree and a stronger conviction of the world's corruption. I could picture her settling back near her parents, having lots of babies, directing the church choir, and mixing herbs and essential oils for her mom. So what really made the difference? Something that struck me in h...

I recently learned of a man whose wife has struggled with severe health problems. For the past two years, this man has prayed fervently, along with many family and friends, for his wife to recover, but to no avail. Recently he expressed resignation that the miracle he seeks will not come "until the resurrection." But he also asked a poignant question, "Why bother to pray? If the Lord will do what the Lord is going to do, in his time and his own way, why ask for something?" This is a great question, though he undoubtedly felt guilty even asking it. In fact, he later apologized for bringing it up (this was in a religious setting), and he finally said:  "I've come to the conclusion that I am not humble enough... I'm afraid my complacency and pride has brought this on." Up to this point I had been quiet, but I have spent too much time blaming myself for my own unanswered prayers to let someone else do that. I told him, "One thing I am certain of i...