“Dear Lauren, I don’t think
people are supposed to feel this way in eighth grade. All our friends are doing
stupid stuff, having their friends ask a girl out for them. You know, that kind
of thing. But I feel like I could marry you tomorrow. I’m not even kidding. I
didn’t know if I wanna graduate because that means going to high school. And
high school means more people to deal with. All the senior guys will fall over
each other to know you. Anyway, that’s all right, ‘cause I’m never going to
leave you. Not ever. Love you, Lauren. Yours, Shane.”
Lauren
is Lauren Gibbs - Thirty-six years of age, single, and unattached. Lauren is
Time Magazine’s International war correspondent. She is based in Afghanistan
investigating the plight of orphaned children along with photographer, Jeff
Scanlon. Shane is Officer Shane Galanter, a Top Gun flight instructor. Shane is
thirty-six and engaged to Ellen Randolph, daughter of Congressman Terry
Randolph, possibly Shane’s key to a political career.
Also
meet Emily Anderson, a journalism student, raised by her grandparents. She is
desperate to find her birth mother. In the process, she discovers so much more.
Could this note from Shane to Lauren, be the clue to finding her mother and
possibly her father also?
Emily
Anderson’s search to find her mother has been aided by a precious find given to
her by her grandfather - one box holding the remaining items owned by her
mother. Included were framed photographs of her parents, year books, photo
albums, folded hand written letters and a stuffed teddy bear. But the most
exciting find of all was a collection of eight journals and dozens of note
books. Is this enough to find her parents? Do these journals tell her where her
mother may be? What about her father? Where is he? Why did they leave her with
her grandparents, Bill and Angela? Why don’t they know more about the
disappearance of her mother?
Bill
and Angela Anderson along with Samuel and Sheila Galanter are loving and
devoted parents to Lauren and Shane. But they made one serious mistake, a
mistake that they have regretted for the past eighteen years.
We
have to remember that God has placed our parents in authority over us. We, are
to ‘submit ourselves with due obedience … and have patience with their
weaknesses and shortcomings’ (Lord’s Day 39).
If
they do make mistakes, like Bill, Angela, Samuel and Sheila did, regardless of
how they have wronged us, we are to forgive them as Colossians 3:13 exhorts us
- ‘…even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do’.
Parents
must remember that they have promised to raise their children in the fear of
the Lord, and must lead their children in His ways, regardless of the situation.
What about the Andersons and Galanters? Did these parents forget this?
A
heart wrenching tale of love, lies and losses is told in Even Now written by Karen Kingsbury (said to be America’s #1 inspirational author).
As a former journalist and sports writer, Karen has written many stories, both
fiction and non-fiction. She is also a popular speaker at women’s groups across
America.
Karen and her husband Donald live in the Washington
State with their six children, three
of whom were adopted from Haiti.
Because
of its adult themes, Even Now is best
suited to the adult and mature reader. It is available through Pro Ecclesia and
retails for approximately $15.
Review by E. Visser
