What if your “calling” crushes the people closest to you?
Michèle Phoenix’s compelling release, Of Stillness and Storm, explores how life can unravel when we pursue what we believe is our God-given passion at all costs. It took Lauren and her husband Sam ten years to achieve what was his dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But the dream is never really Lauren’s, especially when her husband objects to conveniences that might make the transition easier for Lauren and their teenaged son. Torn between her loyalties—to God, to her husband, to their son, to herself, to a childhood friend—Lauren struggles with what submission really means and what her God-given priorities are.
The story kept me reading when I should have been doing other things. I had to know what Lauren would choose, if her family would survive, in Nepal or elsewhere. Michèle is a beautiful writer; I found myself pausing to savor sentences throughout my read.
Michèle has worked with missionary kids (MKs) for 20+ years and knows firsthand how parental priorities, callings and choices affect the children they take to the field (or into the pastorate, I might add). This book provides a thought-provoking challenge to parents in or headed toward ministry. It also serves as a sobering reminder to pray deeply for those in ministry and especially for their families.
I do wish Sam was a bit less one-dimensional—so dogged in the pursuit of his passion that he ignored warnings from his wife, his child, his church leadership. Of Stillness and Storm serves as a cautionary tale for those who insist on going it alone into ministry without a mission board or denominational or association accountability (organizations that likely would have caught many of the issues arising in the book before damage was done).
You’ll find the book searingly powerful and well worth reading. So enter the contest to win your own copy by clicking the image below. You’ll be entered for the Bookworm On-the-Go Prize Pack (because it’s tough to take a stack of books with you when you travel).
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A copy of Of Stillness and Storm
- A Kindle Fire tablet
- A Kindle Fire map cover
- A passport holder
Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on December 31. The winner will be announced January 3 on Michèle’s blog.
