Hope, Trust, Love
Storm Front by Susan May Warren is a marvellous Christian contemporary adventure. It is the fifth book in the Montana Rescue series but can be read as a stand-alone. However I would recommend reading the whole series as you really get to know the characters who ‘feel’ like old friends.
The main themes are hope and rescue. We all need to be rescued from a life of disconnection from God. “As long as we think we’re enough, God can do nothing for us.” If we think we can make it through life alone, we are wrong. We all need God. We may feel abandoned by God in our trials but He never leaves us. “My faith won’t protect me from loss, but it will carry me.” Faith is not a crutch for the weak. Faith is a lifeline for us all. “Don’t let your circumstances tell you who God is.” God is far bigger than any circumstances we face.
Faith tells us to trust when we cannot see. To hope when all seems hopeless. And to love like Jesus.
The novel deals with actual rescues in the wake of tornadoes. Susan May Warren has perfectly captured the atmosphere with her words. We sense the desperation and the clinging to hope to believe in a good outcome.
Hope keeps us alive. If we lose hope, life loses meaning. We must keep hoping in the dark.
Fear immobilises us. “He refused to make a decision today based on the fear of tomorrow.” many of our fears for the future never materialise. Our fears from the past must be left in the past. They are gone. We cannot alter the outcome. We must not let the past dictate the future.
Love runs throughout the novel. There are different types of love but it is love that keeps us alive. God’s love is the greatest of all. “We can’t bargain our way to God’s love… God would say, I already love you.”
Cancer rears its ugly head. Cancer spreads fear. The effects of cancer have far reaching arms. The novel shows brave cancer survivors who struggle with fear and body image. We are more than body parts. We are the souls inside our bodies.
As the novel wraps up, so the ending is perfectly poised for book six. My appetite has been whetted and I cannot wait for more from Susan May Warren in this fabulous Montana Rescue series.
I received this book for free from Net Galley. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON