Review 2025.04.008
Reviewers Note: It is the beginning of 2025 and one of the skills I desire to grow in is that of writing book reviews (having never done this before). I am doing this so I can better hone my writing (and reading) skills as I seek to think more critically about the books I am reading. I am sharing on Goodreads for my own personal development. I know this will be something I am always growing in so if you actually read these, please be patient with me as I develop this skill. I will also receive constructive criticism if you desire to help me become a better writer (and reader). I plan to use this disclaimer for the entire 2025 year.
Divine Nobodies by Jim Palmer
224 Pages
This book was recommended to me by a fellow disciple of Jesus. She said that the book was my kind of book. I looked for her exact words but it was too hard to track down. So it went on sale and I grabbed it. I put it high in the queue so I would read it quickly and let her know what I thought. And then I read it and finished it before she got to chapter 4, which of course I had to give her a hard time about.
I do not recall having heard of Jim Palmer before this book. The stories in the book were just stories from his life – the good and the bad. It was really quite encouraging. Several of the stories were people who did the work of Jesus outside of church, meaning they were not committed to a local body of believers. And while the author is not encouraging this, he does understand the difficulties and why some choose to do that. Honestly, I would love to do that myself.
After I finished chapter 10, crying the whole way through, I told her to just skip that chapter. This was the most emotional chapter for me and probably my favorite story but all of them had an impact in my life. With the biggest question I got out of the book being, who has Father placed in my life that I am missing. I try to see the people around me but like all humans, I get distracted by selfishness or flashy things. How do I slow down? It reminds me of a quote I read over a decade ago but do not know where I read it. “Busyness is moral laziness. Our excuse to be inattentive to people.” I shared that with someone earlier this week.
I would recommend this book to people who like stories about God working in and through lives. Anyone who wants to be challenged to do more with their lives all while resting with God will also be encouraged. If you are not a disciple of Jesus, then you might be encouraged by stories of people trying to follow after their Savior.