Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Archives for February 2012

It’s like Romeo & Juliet for Plain folks

When we first moved to Amish country, I was entralled with Amish fiction, hoping to glean some understanding about a people with whom I was previously unfamiliar.

I’ll admit it: I got burnt out. I felt like I was reading the same plots with different characters.

I’ve been reluctant to pick up another one in quite some time, but I found a pleasant surprise in Cindy Woodsmall’s The Scent of Cherry Blossoms. Though the story was slow to start, it soon picked up speed, and I was fully invested in the Romeo-and-Juliet plot set in the Plain community.

Aden and Annie, the love protagonists, are separated by their faith communities, one Old Order Amish, the other Old Order Mennonite, and though they work side-by-side and have been friends for years, their relationship is not permitted to progress beyond a working one. The plot is almost frustrating because the line separating the two groups, from the outside, seems almost negligible. Woodsmall, however, writes from personal knowledge — friendship with an Old Order Amish woman — which lends credibility to the story and its characters.

FAVORITES: Likable characters. Enchanting setting. Compelling story.

FAULTS: Aden stutters, and Woodsmall writes that into his dialogue. It’s an important part of his character, but it’s hard to read at times. Distracting, almost. But I don’t know how else you convey a stutter on the printed page. Also, the ending felt abrupt. After all the build-up, I thought, “that’s it?” It wasn’t a bad ending; the story just concluded hastily, I thought.

IN A WORD: Redemptive. It’s Christian fiction, so it ought to be, right? For me, The Scent of Cherry Blossoms redeemed Amish fiction. Maybe I’ll try another one soon.

How about you? Interested in this book? I’d like to give it away.

Click here to read the first chapter.

Leave a comment here on the blog about why you love Amish fiction, or why, if you don’t, you’d be willing to give this one a try.

Want extra chances to win? Share this post/giveaway on Twitter and/or Facebook, then come back and leave another comment letting me know you did one or both of those things. Three chances to enter and win in all.

I’ll pick a winner this time next week and announce it on Wednesday’s blog (March 7.)

And if you liked this review, take a moment to rank it on the Waterbrook Multnomah Blogging for Books Web site below. You could have another chance to win a copy of the book.

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/16430

What are you looking for?

Our daughter, the almost 4-year-old, loves books. When we walk out of the library every 3 weeks, our bag is loaded with books. A few months ago, she discovered Where’s Waldo? and other seek-and-find sorts of books.

Confession: I kind of hate these books. If I can’t easily find Waldo or characters from the Lion King within a few minutes, then I’m ready to turn the page and move on.

Isabelle still needs help finding the hidden pictures, so I can’t exactly leave her to herself with these books. What’s interesting, though, is that after we’ve been through the book once and found the pictures, finding them gets easier. She usually can pick out what we’re looking for without help after a couple of times through, and I start to remember where we looked to find the pictures.

This is somewhat like faith in Jesus. Although the apostle Paul writes in a letter that “what may be known about God is plain to them” and “God’s invisible qualities … have been clearly seen” (Romans 1:19-20), finding God in our lives, in our world, can be like looking for a hidden picture. If He’s not obvious, we might want to give up. If there are too many things blocking our view, we might get frustrated.

On the other hand, if we keep seeking, we will find Him. Jesus said “seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). When you start looking for God, and you find glimpses of His presence — in people, in nature, in circumstances — finding him the next time gets easier.

But it all depends on what you’re looking for.

Our Sunday School class at church is watching a video series about John’s Gospel from the point of view of where he wrote those words — in Ephesus, modern Turkey. Yesterday’s lesson focused on Jesus’ first words to John, as recorded in John 1: “What are you looking for?” (also translated “What do you seek?” or “What do you want?”).

Some people look for a moral teacher when they look for Jesus. Or a miracle maker. Or a magician. Or a genie to grant their every wish.

Others seek Him as the answer to their greatest need. As a deliverer or rescuer from themselves and evil. Some see Him as a servant. Or a king. As God. Or as a man.

Those aren’t all bad things. What you find when you encounter Jesus, when you look for evidence of God, depends a great deal on what you’re looking for in the first place.

So, what are you looking for?

Sometimes we need a little help finding Him, until we learn to look for His presence and working in our lives and others’ lives.

The more we look for Him, the more we’ll find Him.

Years ago, I was part of a Bible study that met once a week, and every week, we were asked the same question to start our sharing time: “What’s God been doing in your life?” The first time I had to answer that question, I was stumped. It’s not that God wasn’t doing anything in my life, but I wasn’t looking for Him. As the weeks went on, and I expected that question each week, answering it became easier.

As we continue in Lent, these questions can guide us in reflecting on our faith:

  • What am I looking for?
  • What is God doing in my life?

Jesus’ answer to the disciples when they answered his first question was “come and see.”

Seek Him. He won’t stay hidden.

Come and see what Jesus is all about.