Title: Reckless Yes
Author: Johnna Hensley
Major Themes: Marriage, Family, Disability, Birth Defects, Foster Care, Adoption
Synopsis: Johnna Hensley did not expect the turn her life took when she received an unexpected diagnosis during her first pregnancy—but it changed her life for the better.
Anytime I see a Christian memoir come up for review, I take a closer look. I have often found memoirs to be inspiring and encouraging when they are well-written. Reckless Yes sounded, from the description, like it might fall into that category. I was a bit surprised when I started reading it, though, because it was quite different than any other I have ever read. It turned out not to be a memoir at all, but rather the story of how a woman learned to say yes to God, when a “yes” doesn’t seem to make sense. I like the subtitle: Exchanging worldly ease for God’s eternal adventure.
Publisher’s description:
After a shocking diagnosis in 2007 sent her life in an unexpected direction, Johnna Hensley had a decision to make. Though she had walked with God for nearly two decades, she had to choose whether she would follow His leading on a strenuous journey to find the narrow gate that leads to eternal life; or would she take the easy, wide path offered by the temporal world? As she chose to say yes to selfless love, through God’s guidance, she discovered this was the first of many forks in life’s road that would ultimately lead her to a life full of adventure, surprises, and sometimes, even hardships.
Inspiring and encouraging, this true story of one family’s journey is intertwined with relevant teaching of who God is and why we can trust Him in the midst of life’s chaos. Through relatable storytelling, wit, and wisdom, readers will be challenged to shift their perspective toward God’s eternal adventure.
My thoughts:
I found myself very inspired and challenged by reading Reckless Yes. Johnna Hensley retells stories from the Bible in which various people were told by God to do things that did not make sense. She draws lessons for us today from the stories. Then, she tells part of the story of her family’s life, showing how a reckless yes to God resulted in great blessing. Their path led through living with chronic disabilities, foster care, adoption, and emotional issues. It is an amazing story of how one woman learned to depend on God. I was challenged to spend more time reading the Bible and learning about God myself.
In closing, here is a paragraph from chapter eleven that really spoke to me: “I started making decisions based on that mindset. Was there a way I could help someone? Would I look more like Jesus by doing it? Could I do anything today that would serve another person? If all of those questions were answered with a yes, I moved forward—even knowing that to the world it would look reckless, and maybe even stupid.” What a challenge! This is a book that I think every woman should read. The way God works will be different in everyone’s life, but the principles are the same.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: The word heck appears in the introduction, and gosh in chapter 10
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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