4 out of 4 stars
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The author, Tammy C. Heidenreich, writes about her experiences of “Pain and Trauma touched by the Healing Hand of God” in Brushstrokes of Heaven. It is an inspirational nonfiction book written from the author’s perspective as a Christian and referring to the Bible and her communication with God. Brushstrokes of Heaven explores several themes such as grief, loss, bullying, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, accidents, post-traumatic stress disorder and family ill-health. It discusses the positive side of the trials and challenges faced by the author. There are twenty-seven chapters in the book. The first thirteen chapters describe the painful and traumatic experiences of the author. The other half of the book are reflections on the lessons learnt from the trials and experiences.
The author’s first experience described in the book was about an episode of physical assault during pregnancy and the grave health risks that event posed to her and her unborn child. She admits that she had always been afraid of childbirth and for several years, before ever being pregnant, had prayed for safe and uneventful labor. However, the fact that her first experience turned out to be so traumatic did not shake her faith in God as she sought to look at the events from a positive side.
I liked the way the author was able to see positivity in the experiences she had. I think it is a healthy attitude that can give one strength to endure and overcome life’s numerous challenges. It is so fundamental that non-Christian readers can relate to and identify with the core message of this book. I particularly enjoyed chapter 13. In it, the author identifies herself as someone who has too much empathy for others. I could thoroughly relate to that, and I found her submission on how to deal with it inspiring. I particularly liked this statement.
I also liked the author’s assertion that God’s first concern is not about our service for Him, but our intimacy with Him and our security in His extravagant love. The story in chapter 23 about balancing family life and other interests will appeal to a lot of mothers. I found it comforting to know that God loves me and understands the challenges I face in this area. I enjoyed reading the back stories that preceded the poems in the last section of the book.God continues to teach me how to keep boundaries on this empathy and use it only if He directs, for it can lead me to take on pursuits and spend my energy on responsibility not meant for me.
I had great difficulty in identifying the few grammatical errors I found in this book, so I think it was professionally edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because I was inspired by the message. It would be a useful addition to church and family libraries.
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Brushstrokes of Heaven
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