Redeeming Love

Brace yourselves moment! Kristin finished a large fiction book –

Redeeming Love (by Francine Rivers)

I surprised myself as well, but I had people keep telling me that I needed to read that book; now I know why. It’s a tear jerker. It’s amazing how God can use a fiction book to stir the heart of one who continually is growing in understanding of God’s grand love (that would be me). God’s unconditional love. Thankfully God graciously accepts us as we are – He doesn’t love us conditionally.

There are many little lessons that I learned from this book and as you are all aware, I tend to process life through typing/writing. So here are some of my thoughts. (Even if you haven’t read the book, I think this will still make sense).

Angel was a prostitute. As much as she desired to get out of the profession, she knew nothing else and didn’t know really OF anything else. It was her life. Throughout the book, she returns to her old habits and then goes back to Michael. How often in life do I, Kristin, return to my old habits? I think about Rom. 12:1-2 – the passage about being transformed – throwing off the old and putting on the new. I have a new life in Christ, but all too often I return to my old self and fall into “old” ways. EVERY minute I need to consciously make the choice to live for Christ and not live for the world.

Angel often tried to escape from the unknown and go back to what she knew – prostitution. What do we try to escape from in life? I sometimes want to escape the difficulties in life – then again, don’t we all? I think about some of the difficulties that we have had through this baby process – sometimes it would be easy just to not answer the questions people have, but by doing that, we would not be able to defend our faith. Some things that we have been through, we can’t explain – it is PURELY God. We can’t escape the tough questions, but that only increases our faith. And deep down, we are thankful for them.

Later on in the book, Angel and Michael met the Altmans. They were a very positive example to Angel, teaching her the love of brothers and sisters in Christ. I think about the people God has placed in our life as positive examples. Honestly, it would take hours to write them all down. How beautiful it is, to think that God put us on this earth to interact and to love each other – what a JOY it is to think that He cares so much for us, that He wants to express His love for us through other people. Can you think of a time when God used someone in your life to give you encouragement when you needed it most (and have you wondered HOW they knew you needed encouragement?) I remember in 2010 when we were coping with the no kid thing, there were days when I received random cards in the mail and random emails from people, saying they were praying for us. Tears were shed over those random acts of kindness. God knows EXACTLY what we need and WHEN we need it. That’s what the Altmans were to Angel.

And obviously one of the biggest themes of the book is God’s love for us. It gives you a whole new perspective on the story of Hosea. How MANY times has God taken us back, when we deny Him, deny His plan for us, deny Him as our Father. I know I have missed opportunities to tell of God’s wonders in my life. I know I have disowned Him by being silent when I should not be. I know I have slapped Him in the face by not representing Him the way I should. It brings tears to my eyes to think about how many times God has taken me back. Yes, I believe in the “perseverance of the saints” (for all you Calvinists out there), but God does NOT have to take me back every time. Yet again and again, He does. So often I put myself in Angel’s shoes, and Michael’s shoes. Am I that dedicated of a wife? I know that I married Dan for better or for worse and daily I try to be a better wife to him. Yet I know I fail. I am not perfect. Yet he still loves me. How much more does GOD love us and continually take us back. God just “gets” me sometimes – makes me want to just shout praises to Him all day long. That is why I can’t wait til heaven someday. But then again, why don’t I just shout praises to Him all day here on earth? Live a life of praise.

When people ask me at work for a fiction book recommendation, there are like 2 options I can give them – one being Redeeming Love. I would HIGHLY recommend this book – well, you probably have all read it – I’m just behind in the world. What are the lessons you have taken from reading this book? I would love to hear them b/c I think people always pick up different ideas, even though we are all reading/have read the same book.