longing...

One of my favorite authors is Karen Kingsbury. I first read One Tuesday Morning in 2003 and have been captivated by Kingsbury's books ever since. I suppose they could be considered predictable... but I'm grateful for books that share a positive message through some not so positive circumstances all the time. I suppose they could be considered unrealistic or too fairy tale... but I'm grateful for books that give me hope for my own fairy tale.

Kingsbury has written more than 60 books, but my favorite series is actually an ongoing storyline throughout a number of her four or five-book series that first started around the Baxter family in the Redemption Series. Four series later, Kingsbury started the Bailey Flanagan series and recently released "Longing."

Without giving away the entire series, midway through the book, the main character goes to church Christmas Eve with friends and hears a message on longing. Kingsbury writes...

"'This time of year people are longing... We long for love and relationship and healing and hope... But this Christmas God wants us to long for so much more.' He spoke then about longing for holiness, for a closer walk with Jesus, for God's truth to speak louder than the noise of the world. 'When we long for the right things, we find a different sort of love. The kind of love that will never let go of us, never let us down. Never walk away or disown us. A love that knows us and our flaws but stays anyway.' He paused. 'For us... to long for God is to long for a perfect love.'"

The circumstances around the message make for a moving story, but even apart from Bailey Flanagan's story, the pastor's message is poignant. So many people are hurting... searching... longing for a perfect love. We want to be wanted... to be accepted... to be listened to... and God's love gives us all of that.

I am grateful for Karen Kingsbury's stories... but ultimately I'm grateful for God's love, sacrifice and acceptance to fulfill my own longing.

Official book trailer...