Love Heals by Becca Stevens

The founder of Thistle Farms, a community devoted to the healing of traumatized women, produced this beautiful gift book outlining fourteen ways and means God uses love to heal, such as through creation, with compassion, by His mercy, and during forgiving. In parts, the book was more poetic than I could fathom, more redundant than I liked, and more wordy than was comfortable, such as this: “This morning I went outside and felt the sunrise that was offered like a gift wrapped in bands of purple. I saw two beautiful rabbits feasting on clover in my overgrown yard, and a cool breeze kissed my cheek in the midst of the summer heat. I was full of praise and gratitude, and I felt inspired to birth new ideas.” I like fewer details and certainly fewer adjectives; this kind of writing makes me feel like I don’t know where to look. Another example was part of a poem which the author places at the beginning of each chapter: “Soaring above, predators scan meadows for the most vulnerable prey, like I am searching the horizon for a thought.” Huh? As the book progressed, however, it became less flowery and more solid. I found the chapter “Love Heals Beyond Stress” to be excellent, as Stevens suggested these “short-term practices”: pray daily, create free time, develop healthy sleep rituals, daydream, keep a student’s heart, understand pain as a teacher, and laugh. Chapters on forgiveness and fear were also outstanding. I would recommend this book with the caveat that the reader be ready for a couple of very different writing styles in one volume; one is liable to suit you, and you will no doubt learn from and be challenged by the author’s insights. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.