Perhaps it was the physical reactions to last weekend's moving with all of the aches of packing, hauling, unpacking, loss of sleep, etc. that caused me to pause last night when I saw Dr. Paul Tournier's slim volume, The Seasons of Life. I was in the library unpacking and arranging books when I came across it and, remembering a bit of the little book's excellent advice from previous readings, I took a 45-minute break and read it through. After all, the physical effects of moving 25 years worth of home and office (especially when one is 53 years old) provides more than sufficient evidence that there are changing seasons in life to which one must physically and spiritually adapt. And Tournier gave me wonderful advice last night in how to adapt well...and even to appreciate God's rich purposes in setting things up that way in the first place.
Paul Tournier was a Swiss psychiatrist whose books are deeply Christian and I have been recommending him to audiences for as many years as I've read him myself. (Let's see...that would be about 34 years.) I urge readers to take their time with Tournier and carefully consider the value of his stories, his kind-hearted counsel, and his common-sense insights into the complexity of the human person. He is a wise man and a caring one. And his books (usually quite small but still packed with great stuff) are often like talking to an old-fashioned country doctor: 1) who is not easily alarmed or shocked by your problems; 2) who can keep secrets; 3) whose concerns with your getting well and whole take priority over anything else; and 4) who is genuinely committed to biblical truth as the foundation for life and health as well as for suffering and death. Yes, Tournier is quite familiar with Freud, Jung and the rest and he openly utilizes their contributions; but the Cornerstone of his healing arts always remains the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Seasons of Life provided me last night with a nice, encouraging visit with a man who was my first Christian physician -- and one who I will continue to consult (through his many wonderful books) until I join him in heaven. I think you might also find him useful in the maintenance of your spiritual health. So, give Dr. Paul Tournier a try. And remember, as he did with me last night about 11:30, he still makes house calls!
