All In God’s Perfect Timing
A Time To Abide by Juliette Duncan is a heart wrenching contemporary Christian tale that deals with life and death, love and loss, and over it all is God who is faithful.
The novel has some powerful themes of relevant issues – maternal death, premature birth, homosexuality, adoption – all are sensitively portrayed by Juliette Duncan and covered with the love of God.
Following a death, we often have questions. “God where are You in this?” We may feel guilty. “Blaming herself wouldn’t bring her back.” We will always wonder if we could have done more.
In the midst of death there is life. Not just a new life in Heaven but a new baby on earth. Running parallel is the birth of a new Christian who goes down into the waters of baptism and rises anew.
Being a Christian does not mean that we will be trouble free but it does mean that God will walk alongside us at all times. “I believe Your Word, although my spirit is crushed.” We must lean into God and learn to trust Him because His plans are so much greater than ours. God will always see the bigger picture. “She knew Who held the future, and she needed to trust Him.”
There are times when we want to hide from the world and even God. “She hadn’t wanted to go [to church], but… church was exactly the place she needed to be.” It is at times when we most want to isolate ourselves that we need to surround ourselves with our brothers and sisters in Christ. They can support and lift us up when we have no strength left.
How does God speak to us? Rarely in a booming voice. We need to tune into him and listen for His whisper. “Could he ignore that little voice inside?”
As Christians we may see family or friends straying from God. Our job is never to judge. We need to love and leave the convicting and any judging to God.
A Time To Abide was a powerful read with many godly lessons and scriptures throughout. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait for the subsequent books. My heart and soul were warmed.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON