Review: Food for the Soul!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 4, 2012
`Surrendered Hearts' by Carrie Turansky is a beautiful story of how God reveals his unconditional love and mercy through the attitudes and actions of others.Following the death of her parents, Jenn gives up on God, who could have prevented the accident that killed them. Years later, a fire rips through her apartment and her life, leaving her feeling unbeautiful, unloved, and even more lost. With only a duffel bag of belongings to call her own, she journeys to the home of her older brother, Wes(a Christian and former missionary), unsure of how she'll be received.Upon her arrival, Wes welcomes her warmly. Eager to have a relationship with his sister but concerned about the bitterness lingering in her spirit, he and his roommate Bill agree in faith to model Christ for Jenn, so that she can see Him through their lives. With prayer and patience, they hope she will form her own relationship with Jesus. However, as Bill acknowledges a growing attraction to Jenn, it becomes harder and harder to heed the still small voice inside that says, "Don't take what isn't yours. She needs a Savior, and you are not Him."Finding it difficult to put Jenn's spiritual needs before his earthly desires, Bill reflects on the commitment he made to God, to give his heart only to a woman who shares his faith. But the struggle to seek God's will instead of his own turns into a raging battle when Jenn's estranged fiancé materializes out of the blue, fully intending to whisk her back to Oregon and pick up where they left off. Bill is terrified of losing her forever, and unhappy with God for not opening her heart in time.Crushed with the realization that he has been seeking Jenn's salvation for his own selfish reasons, he surrenders his desires and hopes to God, trusting Him to protect her and give her the life and love she deserves. Even if that life does not include him.I recommend `Surrendered Hearts' to readers like me, who love the sad and happy tears that accompany a well-crafted story, the twists and turns of an exciting journey, and a healthy serving of food for faith.