I recently read the book, Searching for Spring by Christine Hoover. This book is centered around the truth that God will make all things beautiful in time. The writings within turn encounters with God’s beauty into inspiration for our life with Christ, encouraging us to seek out His beauty in all things, from the joyous to the grievous.
Christ’s provisions for us on the Cross are presented with colorful illustrations that reveal His beauty to even the newly seeking heart. In presenting key aspects of our Christian spiritual journey, the book could serve as a helpful enjoyment on one’s journey through discipleship.
Though a bit wordy at times, this was not fault enough to be a detriment to the contents within. A few sections especially impacted me:
- The chapter on waiting and quieting ourselves before the Lord was a needed reminder to cultivate and guard such times with the Lord, teaching us to trust God even as we wait for Him to beautify certain areas of our lives.
- How the author shares about needing to know she was loved to the point of seeking to meet this need through striving and performance. It encouraged me to discover I was not the only one who had to be freed from such a merciless prison. God is so good to us.
The author writes in Chapter 11:
“The love I’d sought had been there, beckoning, all along. The color of God burst like fireworks before me. Everywhere I looked in Scripture, I found the yellow and orange and fiery red I’d heard about—because I looked, finally, back at God through a lens of God’s own securing love. Finally I was free. Free from self-condemnation, free from proving myself, free from the uncertainty of my standing before God, and free from the weight of entangling sin.”
Lastly, she shares of allowing herself to do what she had been drawn to for so long—writing. She tells of how wrestling with her thoughts brought her to a place of realizing something: Worship to God wanted to be expressed from her heart. Her words caused me to realize this is why I also yearn to write, one reason I have a blog.
Searching for Spring in hand, take a moment—many moments—to stop and relish the beauty of the journey with Christ. Then, take this rhythm into daily life, searching out God’s love notes of beauty–large and small–with all your heart. Thrilling encounters with His beauty await every heart’s need for hope and courage in this journey through life.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own. Book reviews on the IPFJ website do not equal 100% endorsement or agreement with everything an author writes, believes or stands for.
Inspiring Passion for Jesus Christ 