Christian Ladies Book Club discussion

Something that struck me with the first chapter: Rosemary seems very emotionally disconnected from the world around her, with the exception of her small group of cohorts. At the train, when a young boy she knew was planning to steal her purse, she was ready to react by fighting back until she recognized the perpetrator.

This disconnectedness I imagine helps to support her ability to steal from others without the implication of guilt you would expect. Given the hardships she was exposed to as a young child, she has this concept of means to an end, a way of life to ensure her needs are met. She doesn't consider the effect her actions have on others.

This got me to thinking, how much do we have the same mindset, although to a lesser degree? How often do we respond to comments and situations in life without thinking of repercussions or the effects our actions have on others? I think it happens more than we realize. Even trying to be conscientious and respectful of others, sometimes we fail to see the big picture and lean on our own understandings. This is where we really need to have our faith and trust in God to guide us and make us aware of these blind spots in our lives we may not be aware of.

What caught your attention in the first chapter?

I think we all have those moments where our mouth just gets away from us before we can really think about the words that are about to come out. Especially when we are in the moment and frustrated or angry, sometimes it's hard to think before you speak and sometimes you honestly just don't want to. We need to make sure we really stay aware of the things we say and the way we talk. We need to speak life into people instead of death.

What stuck out to me is the mindset and how different it is with them. The whole group was proud because Barclay was able to complete his challenge. To them, stealing is a way of life. It's how they survive and it's like their full time jobs. They are just as proud of their work and how they are able to manipulate people as I am with my job of helping people.