This is such a beautiful hardcover book with bookmark ribbon, stunning photography, journaling space and kindness prompts. But most of all the short devotionals speak to me greatly.
As Voskamp says in the introduction; "This world is beautiful - but this world is broken. And the suffering is all around us...in us."
This is so, so true. Aren't we all broken in some way or another? Hasn't life dealt each of us some type (or several types) of blow that affects us greatly?
Voskamp writes "Even in the depths of our own brokenness - actually, because of the depths of our own brokenness - God can use each of us to be a gift to another broken heart.
To be the broken and brave who know that when the stakes are highest, kindness matters most.
Even the smallest seeds of kindness can begin to break the worst kind of brokenness.
What if we could be compassionate with each other, co-suffer with each other - so that we could be part of the healing of each other?"
Voskamp also points out that time is fleeting and that our chance at change is now. Pages 70-71 ask us "What if instead of waiting for good enough things to happen to us we could be the good things to happen to someone else who's waiting?
The world is brokenhearted and full of suffering, and if you listen to what life needs instead of what you need from it, you could fill the brokenness with your own brokenhearted love - and this in turn will fill you."
This goes against the grain of the world's thinking. TO DIE TO SELF. And yet that's what Jesus asks of us. "I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." -John 12:24
I could go on and on but suffice to say that there is great wisdom in this book. I always have a difficult time reviewing Voskamp as I do find her writing to be too poetic, as though she is trying just a bit too hard and it takes something away from the writing. But in this format, short little devotions, time can be taken to read and re-read the message in order to absorb and truly meditate on her words. I found this format to be much easier on the brain.
This book was given to me by BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
I remember years ago how much I loved reading your blog. It has devolved into a review platform for books that no one has ever/will ever hear about, completely devoid of personality.
ReplyDeleteI've mentioned on previous posts that I've ceased blogging and therefore just post book reviews (which you have heard of these books once you read the review). I do appreciate that you used to enjoy my blogging.
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