About the Book
In our world, David will never be able to "earn it." He'll never make a lot of money. He'll never be "important." He'll never have a "big job" or own his own home. By any measure in our society and culture, he won't be "successful."
But, you can't get that boy off the dance floor. He's not self conscious. He doesn't so much think or care about who's looking at him. He doesn't need your approval. At all.
He is fully aware, fully in tune, completely swallowed up by the fact the absolute fact, that he is loved. And he knows it. And it just flows out of him. Out of every pore of his being.
In Perfect, author John T. Wagner tells the stories of his son David, a 17-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, and how David has led him more fully to the sacred stories of Jesus. Get ready to dance, laugh, cry, celebrate, wonder, treasure, believe and be wrapped in pure joy as you meet this little boy who is precious to the Savior and a gift to all those around him.
About the Author :
John Wagner is a senior vice president with Young Life, and has been David's dad for the last 17 years. He has watched his son grow and struggle. David has taught him more than he can ever talk about or write in a book about what it means to follow Jesus. This book is his attempt to capture a small piece of that. John has a BA from Wake Forest University, and an MDiv from Fuller Seminary. He has been on Young Life staff for 33 years, and is currently located in New York City with his beautiful wife Gae and their three kids, Michael (24), Jessi (22) and David (17). John Wagner is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church(PC-USA).
Review :
..". discover anew the power of the Gospel to awaken your life and the irresistible invitation to fall in love with the 'wildness of God.' " Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics, author of "Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most" "This book reveals how those with a disability have the extraordinary ability to show us what it means to be fully alive. Read it slowly, and keep the tissues nearby." -Craig Barnes, President, Princeton Theological Seminary "John tells the truth. He is authentic and honest and helpful in what he writes. I encourage you to enter the Wagners' world!" -Denny Rydberg, President, Young Life "I heartily recommend this small but significant book you hold in your hands!" -Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center "This book will melt your heart with a fresh perspective on our Father's abundant grace amidst life's valleys and mountains." -Dennis Bakke, author of Joy at Work, Chancellor, Imagine Schools "Irresistibly compelling and bracingly honest, this isn't a book to devour in a hurry. Read it slowly...savor the stories...experience the difference between believing that God is love and experiencing the love of God. Perfect will lead you into the heart of God, which is the finest recommendation I could give any book." -Fil Anderson, Executive director, Journey Resources, author of Running on Empty: Contemplative Spirituality for Overachievers "Watching John's relationship with his son David is a window into the life with God I long for. Perfect will introduce you to the outlandishness of God's love in the midst of profound challenge. John's reflections on life with God, through his life with David avoid sentimentalizing piety and cynical acquiescence. The joy of this father and son relationship inspires me to hope beyond hope." -Jason Gaboury O.P., Regional Director NY/NJ, Intervarsity Collegiate Ministries "For all of David's life I have had the opportunity to watch John and Gae parent him. You see in spring of 2000, when David was a baby, John invited me to join the Young Life staff with the goal that there be Young Life for David, and other kids like him, by the time David would be a teenager. John's desire for David to experience God's love has motivated him to take huge risks, to advocate hard for kids that were being overlooked, and to dive deep into God's love himself. As with most things with God, the journey has been different than expected; the lows have been very low, but the highs have been amazingly miraculous. Through it all, John will let you know that he has seen God clearly and come to know God better thorough life with David. And the good news is-the joy, the smiles, the delight, and the dancing are not over yet!" -Pam Harmon, Vice President of Young Life Capernaum "When God transforms the heart of a man through the precious gift of a most remarkable son, that father has something pretty profound to say to us all. That's John Wagner in his new work, Perfect-you'll be deeply blessed by his stories, insights, and practical encouragements. I heartily recommend this small but significant book you hold in your hands!" -Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center "Vibrant. Beautiful. John Wagner's transparent stories of his precious relationship with his son David welcome us right into their midst. The book is a dynamic love letter inviting us to participate in the unbridled hope and possibilities of life lived fully and well. John's winsome way makes us want to be part of his story-and then we see that we are. Powerful. Clear." -John Featherston Senior Director, New Ventures at Chick-fil-A, Inc.
