When I was three years old, my dad began to read me The Chronicles of Narnia. He adapted it to my level, naturally; but every year he would continue to read through the series to me and my brother. He read with animation and gave the characters different voices (and British accents!). The story completely captivated me from even that very young age so that when I was four, it was already a favorite. I so identified with Lucy that I pretended to be her when the four of us took walks through the woods, and I dressed up as her one Halloween.
From The Chronicles of Narnia, I learned many deep truths that I began to better understand when i was older. It planted seeds in my soul that I am still reaping the fruits from to this very day, now in my thirties. I developed a clear picture of the nature of God--not the harsh, judgmental old man or the benign, senile grandpa, or Santa-Claus-like character that many perceive him to be. From Aslan, I learned that God is wild but good: that He has a terrible roar but also a purr; huge claws but knows just when to velvet them; a love of truth, an understanding of everyone's story, and a sense of humor.
Because of these stories and the deep truths embedded therein, I learned to love stories of fantasy and fairy tale. Knights Kings, princesses, castles, swords, horses, talking animals, all of it. Especially stories of Other Worlds. I learned that stories like these aren't all just flights of fancy and childish stories; often they have much to tell us about the reality we live in.
The Narnia books also cultivated in my from a young age a love of British culture. To my young American ears, words and phrases like "torch" (for flashlight) and "jolly well" and "wet blanket" were new and delightful. It set me on a path that has led to a lifetime of Anglophilia, which in turn led me to also love Scotland and Ireland. (And, even more recently, to become a Doctor Who fan.)
These books have truly shaped my life in many positive ways, and I wish that for everyone.

These books shaped my view of myself, the world around me, my purpose, and my view of God so profoundly as a child that I am still discovering their influence today.

On the pebbly beach of Greystones, I sit and stare out at the Irish sea. I watch. I listen. I read. I pray. I think about my life, about the future. I watch the sunrise. I take photographs. I people watch. I bird watch. I listen to bagpipers. I try to figure out my life: where I'm going, and what I'm doing.

I've only been to Greystones once, and it was for only a week. Yet it remains one the of most beautiful, tranquil places I've ever been. I've been to lots of beaches--sometimes to swim, get sun, play in the sand, or just relax. But I was in Greystones for something else: direction.

I spent the week there praying for Ireland, it's people, and the missionaries there. But I also prayed about whether I should return, to be a part of the work I was praying about. My last night on the beach at Greystones, I thought I heard the answer: Yes.

It's been almost two years since that night, and I'm still in the U.S. I'm still trying to figure out my "next steps." Story of my life. But it's amazing to me how much I still think about Ireland. Just today I had a conversation about it with a kid I work with. It's never far from my mind.

I don't know if I'll ever get back to that gravelly, lovely beach, but I hope so.