This was an absolutely amazing book.
One of the difficulties about writing a memoir like this is that so many authors are afraid to tell the truth and shy away from the reasons they needed healing in the first place, or they dwell so long on those reasons that you feel it is all a bit salacious.
I read a similar-genre book recently and was gravely disappointed because the author said she had needed healing, but didn't really show us why. It is difficult to get into the story when half the story isn't told.
Shannyn Caldwell struck a perfect balance, drawing me into the fullness of her life pre-healing and explaining the baby steps made along the way, the slip ups, the tiny victories -before the magnificent conclusion.
This is a story of Christian salvation, which also factored into my reluctance to dive into her book before it was in my hands. Many books featuring Christianity are frankly syrupy and irritating, not sharing the stories of the difficulty every Christian faces, but talking only of the sublimity of life in Christ. All well and good, if one is a saint- but even St Theresa once said to God, "If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!" Following Christ is not an easy choice, and it is a choice one has to make every moment, in every decision.
Shannyn's life had cracks in it before the tornado that killed her parents ever touched down. The tornado smashed what was left, and she deftly shows that but for the saving love of Christ, the pieces would never be healed together.
As I sat at Phoenix Sky Harbor, gate A25, tears streaming down my face, I knew that this book is rare in the realm of spirituality, and a must-read for anyone seeking healing for a life too crushed to be made whole alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment