There’s a book coming out in November that is worth pre-ordering today. My friend John Merritt, who I have known for over 20 years, has written Don’t Blink: The Life You Won’t Want to Miss
John was my pastor for nearly a decade and we partnered in all kinds of ministry projects. We traveled from the forests of Tahoe to the jungles of Belize and on to the beauty of Hana. We gave each other mulligans on golf courses and shared beers afterwards. We told stories, lies and insights. I always enjoyed his messages on Sunday mornings and never once left thinking, “Well that was a waste of time.” Seriously, coming from me, that is HUGE praise.
Two quick stories about John. The first is on the golf course near my home. Twelfth tee box and John hits a lousy shot. As he turns around in exasperation he nearly steps on a rattlesnake. In typical bold fashion, he pokes at the rattler with his driver. The snake strikes and now his club handle is covered in venom. Laughing, he walks over to the ball washer and calmly washes off the venom. That’s John. Adventurous, a touch crazy, but always under control.
John and me in Israel.
The second story is from the first time we went to Belize together. We had one “getaway” day on the islands to go snorkeling. Unfortunately the seas were rough and all the boats for hire were staying safely tied up to docks. I looked out at the sea and said, “Doesn’t look too rough to me. It’s our one chance to go. We gotta go.” I then pushed and prodded the guy at the dive shop to take us. He finally did and we had a great time.
The point? John’s esteem for me went up because I was willing to both defy the weather and push for what we really wanted. It was a small thing at the time but John told me that’s when he knew he liked me. We became even closer friends because he admired the touch of audacity he saw in me that day.
So now he’s an author. Each chapter of Don’t Blink is a personal story of John’s — often in the outdoors experiencing some calamity or other — with insights about our God, human weaknesses, and the glorious possibilities of our faith. Each page shouts John Merritt, which is a good thing.
The back page of the book says, “John demolishes the notion that once you become a Christian your freedoms are gone and your fun is done. Life is an extraordinary adventure elevated to audacious heights when God is leading the charge. Whether on the other side of the world or in your own backyard, you will be inspired to squeeze more joy out of the life God has given you.”
That not only perfectly describes this book, it describes my friend John. Pre-order your copy today at this link
