| These are not stories I have written or even necessarily descriptions of things I have experienced. Rather, they are the stories told in the two most recent novels I have read. The first one, which I have perhaps mentioned before, is “The Ebb Tide” by Beverly Lewis. The most recent is “Between Sisters” by Kristin Hannah. Beverly Lewis, in all of her novels that I have read, talks about people living in the Amish communities of Pennsylvania. They speak of some of the real struggles people and families of deep faith (by this term I am referring to the Christian faith) face and how they deal with them. They are written to be descriptive, not prescriptive. In “The Ebb Tide” a girl of nearly 20 with “wanderlust” is surprised multiple times at the ways her faith journey twists and turns – and is amazed where she ends up. The families in “Between Sisters” have little if anything in common with those in Beverly Lewis’ stories. Wait, I take that back! They have much in common in the fact that all face real struggles in their lives and families. The stark difference is found in their backgrounds and how they process their struggles. Regarding “Between Sisters” I will simply say two things. First, their “processes” generally tend to compound their problems rather than promote growth – even to the point of fighting against growth ideas that are thrown their way. Second, it is not until the bottom of page 578 (large print edition) that God enters into the equation. He then leaves the narrative on the top of page 582, never to be mentioned again. What I find particularly fascinating in “Between Sisters” – especially in the final 25 pages – is how God is continually at work – under the radar – loving, forgiving, and blessing the people in the story … even though they never acknowledge or even notice it. It is clear (to me, at least) how our God in Christ is continually throughout the story loving them, forgiving them, and offering to them a much better life. As I read the final chapters, my mind went to the hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” … “Oh, what peace of often forfeit; Oh, what needless pain we bear … Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness – Take it to the Lord in prayer.” The fiction I enjoy puts made-up stories into real life circumstances. As I read “Between Sisters” my mind continually turned to families and individuals I have encountered over the years whose stories are so similar to those of the two sisters and the other characters in the story. Looking for love in all the wrong places … listening to the misguided “wisdom” of our hearts instead of dealing honestly with who we are and what we need … always placing blame and directing our anger away from ourselves without considering that we may be as much, or more of the problem than others. Now, please do not think that I am trying to say that I am any better than any of these people. What I am trying to say is that it hurts my heart when I think of the peace they are forfeiting … while I wish I could find a way for them to receive the grace and forgiveness, peace and courage, I receive daily from my Savior and friend Jesus. As in “Between Sisters”, so in all of our lives he is continually working under the radar – and sometimes more overtly – to give us all these gifts, because he loves us so. In fact, the Bible promise that I am sharing in my visits this month speaks to this very topic. It reminds us that as we see the darkness around us … and the darkness within us … we never need to be stymied by fear. And here is why: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8.26-27) In some ways one might say that all of our lives are two different stories … written by two different authors … that are deeply intertwined. One is the story written for us by Adam and Eve. The other is the story of the God who came looking for them, rescued them, and called them to live in his wonderful promise. My prayer is that you spend a little time every day in the second story and that through this story you will experience more of the love and forgiveness, peace and courage it is there to give … leading all the way to the eternal life promised in Revelation 21. |
