I could not put it down. The second I finished reading Redeeming Love, I picked it up again. Anyway, here's a description on the awesomeness that is this Novel:
~ California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she can no longer deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does…the One who will never let her go. A life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love. Over 1 million copies sold! ~
The story starts with the prologue, which is Sarah's story about her childhood. Then, we enter into 1850 California and we meet Angel. She's very different from Sarah- colder, defiant, and well, a harlot. But having been through what Sarah's had to go through, it's not wonder that Angel is the girl she is now.
So how do you save a girl that's so far down the wrong path?
With God of course! ...and Michael Hosea.
I love how Mrs. Rivers wrote this, but more than that, I love how this novel portraits the kind of Godly man I want, without making it seem too...Amish(?)
Michael Hosea is man after God's own heart. He's gentle, but full of strength; Kind and warmhearted, but no fool. Michael sees Angel one day, a random day, and knows from that second that he's going to marry her. He knew right there and then that she was woman God ordered from him.
And even after he found out she was a prostitute, he still loved her endlessly.
Of course, that wasn't the real problem.
The main issue that Angel has to deal with is coming to terms that even after all she's done and been through- she's still worth loving, and is capable of loving someone back.
Micheal successes in marrying Angel (lol barely!) but it happens anyway. As they learn more about each other, they become closer. Micheal calls her different names- each fitting to the person she is and well, she wont tell him her real name. She runs away several times, and everyone (except this one time...) Micheal brings her back. Each time she runs away, she's not only running away from Micheal, but from what's doing to her.
And what is Michael doing to her? Well, he's loving her. The best he knows how and the way he loves God.
The only time Micheal didn't run after her was the one time that Angel didn't run away because of her fear of loving Micheal, but she ran away because she understood that love means sacrifice.
Micheal didn't run after her this time because he knew it was of God's will.
I'm going to write out a little expert of this, so y'all can really know what I mean. This is when Angel has left Michael again, this time for good. Micheal is chopping wood, agonizing over his wife and asking God about why he shouldn't go after her: (The bold part is God)
"Why have you forsaken me", Micheal asks
Beloved, I am always with you, even to the end of time
Michael slowed his frantic work and sought solace in God's word. I don't understand anything anymore, Lord. Losing her is like losing half of myself. She loved me. I know she did. Why did you drive her from me?
The answer came to him slowly, with the changing of the seasons.
You shall have no other gods before me.
That couldn't be right.
Michael's anger grew. "When have I worshiped anyone but you?" He raged again. "I've followed you all of my life. I've never put anyone before you." Hands fisted, he wept. "I love her, but I never made her my god"
In that calm that followed his angry torrent of words, Michael heard- and finally understood.
You became hers.
[No copyright infringement intended. ALL works belongs to Francine Rivers- Redeeming Love. Pg. 383]
Okay, after that Angel is thrust into a world without Micheal and the valley and that's where she faces her past and comes to terms with who her God is. She meets other people who, like Michael, believe in God, and is able to become a light in a world filled with darkness- a beacon, for all to see.
She becomes, for lack of better words (and for a pun ;)...she becomes an Angel.
Reading Redeeming Love has done something special to me. Something that no other book has ever accomplished- well not in this way. After reading this book, not only did I pick it up and re-read it again and again, but I also picked up my Bible and read the first 5 chapters of the book of Hosea- which, by the way, Redeeming Love portrays. The Lord is truly at work in this Novel and Mrs. Rivers is such a talented writer! All through out reading this Novel, all I could think about is how I want a man like Micheal Hosea. A man after God's heart. A man, with all his flaws and imperfections, God loves and truly cares for...
I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I'm truly jealous of Angel. But it's no matter. I'll simply pray for a man like Micheal Hosea.
A man after God's heart.
Extra: I noticed that there are different editions of the Novel. In honor of the 20th year the Novel has been selling, the newer version (the one with the cover like the one on top- the one I read) is different than the original book. So, I'll have two different links for each edition of the book. Here's the Original link from Amazon Amazon- Redeeming Love (Version 1)
Here's the one that's newer- for the 20th aniververry(!!): Amazon- Redeeming love (Version 2)
Wanna know more about the author? Check out her website: Francine Rivers
Liked this book review? Thanks! Don't forget to comment about the review :)
~Stay blessed y'all!~
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
-Proverbs 19:21
