In Craving Grace by Lisa Velthouse, the author takes readers on a literary journey to illustrate that despite challenging circumstances, Christians should always keep the faith and realize that their rewards are not here on earth but with Christ.
Do you ever feel like God forgets about you? Perhaps you read your Bible, give to charities, serve as an inspiration to others, and persistently work hard at your job every day. However, you see no tangible rewards from God. In time, you begin to feel cold and neglected. You often question if you are actually a failure. Indeed, Lisa Velthouse herself found it difficult to understand the difference between a gift of grace from God and a more practical award for service. As a result, she decided to seek God's insight by engaging in a special time of praying and fasting that she called The Honey Project.
The reason fasting became an important part of Velthouse's religious turnaround was because she had an epiphany at a drive-through restaurant. The car ahead of her had a Christian bumper sticker on its back, and she thought that the cars driver was seeking self-glory. To her shock, however, when she pulled up to pay for her order, she was told that the person in the car ahead of her had secretly paid for her lunch and then had driven away, seeking no recognition or thanks. It was at that instant Velthouse understood something: Someone else had paid the price for her. And by that, she didnt just mean the person in that car ahead of her, but Jesus Christ himself, in his sacrifice for her salvation. From then on, she starting using food metaphors, from fried chicken to natural honey, to engage readers in lessons about the sweetness of grace and Gods love.
By drawing on her experiences as a youth leader and by pulling up flashback stories from her past, the author explores with her readers a variety of ways to be more obedient to the Lord, more faithful in service, and more optimistic in attitude. At times the stories become a bit long in the tooth, but overall they have good applications, particularly for women ages 25 55 who are busy with families, careers, and church duties. This is the type of book that be picked up and read in sections at various times, offering some insights and encouragement along the way. BreAnne Adderly, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
