BOOK REVIEW "THE PURPOSE OF PLACE"

Written by: Mandy Johnson

When we launched Maricopa Motherhood Magazine, I shared in an article the loneliness I was experiencing and deep need for a community of friendships Part of the reason I was feeling so lonely was because a few of my closest and best friends had moved and in some of my other friendships our life seasons had given us less opportunities to connect. That loneliness lead to wrestling with discontentment and then comparison

I started to wish away my season

“God, we aren’t meant to be here so should we just move?”

“God, if I just had what so-and-so has, I know I won’t feel this way. ”

“God, if you just bless me like that then I will be more equipped to do your work ”

“God, so I was just thinking maybe my plan is better than yours ”

Discontentment became a stronghold in my life

When I was interviewing a friend for my podcast she shared how she read “The Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age” by Daniel Grothe and it had a deep impact on her perspective You know I cannot pass up a book recommendation so obviously it was delivered in two days

In the front cover I read, “In these times, we often think we have to find a fresh place to build a meaningful life ” Yes, I thought, That is exactly what I need, just a fresh place I devoured the pages and dug into my bible as I leaned into what God was telling me.

I had shown up to Maricopa, ready to love this place and make my mark on the community After some rejection and one too many lessons learned the hard way, I was just ready to leave and start fresh All of our dates were happening “in town ” We were driving 45 minutes 2-3 times a week to be at our “home church ” I had let everyone convince me that they were right: the 347 highway is the worst, the restaurants are disappointing and the people here are amazing. Some are amazing deep in their hearts and others are just amazing at how they are able to complain about any and everything.

“Sometimes the most significant thing you can do is stay in a place– stay for the long haul, stay and give your life away for the good of these people in this place ”

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do prospers Psalm 1:3

God, What?! No! I’m not supposed to stay here in Maricopa, Arizona. This was just a pivot place for our family! We were just going to stay for 3-5 years and then on to where we are truly meant to be. We don’t even go to church here, how is this the place I’m supposed to be?

Over and over throughout these pages, Grothe paired scripture, perspective and experience to help me wrestle with my current season As someone who has packed up to “start fresh” on more than one occasion, choosing to stay in this place felt impossible At one point I turned to my husband and shared, “God’s telling me we need to be open to staying in Maricopa and we need to start serving right here.” I *thought* he would fall right off of his chair in surprise but with a simple head nod, he agreed.

We got to it right away.

I started serving in a bigger capacity with MOPs Maricopa and my husband began serving in another organization our family was participating in

My favorite chapter was seven: Honoring Your Presence: Everywhere You Are Is Sacred The name of the chapter says more than I could ever write. So I’ll share some of my highlights.

“Spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you. ” - Annie Dillard

“Sometimes you can’t know what you ’ re made to do until you can’t find what you ’ re looking for anywhere else ”

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads ”thoreau

“To be like Christ Jesus we have to run into, not away from, the small and insignificant places like Nazareth and Roanoke and Reno ”

“And if you will be there, living with holy wakefulness in a world that is “constantly being created” by the Spirit, paying attention to the invisible mysteries, and looking for the hidden beauty, your little section of the world will be saved!”