Redeeming Love

This past weekend was a hard one.  It was really hard, and it probably didn't help that I was waiting for CD 1 to arrive, which meant my emotions and hormones were hyper sensitive.  I'm still waiting for CD 1, but lest you get your hopes up, I did take a HPT to try and bring AF on.  It hasn't worked even though I've been spotting B for 4 days now, and I'm fairly certain my body is just being difficult because I'm waiting for CD 3 bloodwork, and at this rate, I won't be able to complete the bloodwork and get the results before my next Napro appt.  Of course.  That's how it often seems to work.

Anyways, I'll post about Father's Day soon, but in the meantime, I had a surprising break as I devoured a 480 page novel the past 2 days!  I haven't read that big of a book in a long, long time, and it was so refreshing.  The book was called "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers.  Have any of you read it?  It was such a soothing read to my soul.  Even though it's a novel, it's based off of the story of Hosea, who God instructed to marry a prostitute.  Hosea remained faithful to his wife, even though she repeatedly left him and he always took her back.  If you aren't familiar with the story, check out Hosea 1-3 in the Bible.  It's such a great picture of God's love for the Israelites and His love for us.

And then once you've read the Biblical account, pick up "Redeeming Love" because it brings the story to life.  Keep in mind that it does deal with prostitution and gives itself a PG-13 book rating, but it does it in a way that is not graphic.

I have such a greater appreciation and understanding of God's unfailing love for me as a result of reading the book.  And I realize how much I've let IF get in the way of the many good things I do have in my life.  I focus on the one big struggle and fail to acknowledge all that is good in my life.

The book had me crying over so many things because of all the personal connections I could draw to the story- my broken relationship with my mother, the many times I have turned away from God or failed to love or acknowledge Him, the ways in which I've failed or hurt my husband, the emotional baggage I carry from IF, etc.  But it was such a good recognition because God (and my husband) continue to love me despite the brokenness.

If you've ever questioned God's love for you or struggled with baggage from your past, read this book!  You'll understand how I could finish it so quickly.