City of Tranquil Light - Book Review and Life

I just finished one of those books.  A book that touches you so deeply, you feel yourself on every page, between the words, inside the print . . .

"City of Tranquil Light" by Bo Caldwell.

Really, I hardly know where to begin . . .

It is about a young man and woman who go to China in the early 1900's as missionaries.  They fall in love with the country, language, people . . . and each other.

It is a love story.  The story is full of love.

• Love between man and woman.
• Love for a land - a topography.
• Love for those different from yourself.
• Love that is instant.
• Love that takes years.
• Love for life.
• Love that sacrifices life.
• Love that gives life.
• Love for family.
• Love for those who become family.

The last post for this blog was sometime early last summer.  Since that time, my life has changed dramatically.  

We left Russia, our home.  

We gave away, sold, or stored all our worldly possessions.  

We sealed up the house God has helped us to build.

We packed all we could into one suitcase and a carry-on, each.

We moved to Texas.

We are living with my parents.

We moved here to help them.

My mother has Alzheimer's.

My father is suffering the effects of a stroke.

Does that sound like much to you?  

I guess I have been busy and the magnitude of that change hasn't had time to come to the surface.  

I'm busy...

I joined a book club through our church here.  

"City of Tranquil Light" was our December reading.  

It has opened up feelings.  I'm telling you, I cried through the entire book!

I am so blessed.

I have known the love and care of total strangers who took me by the hand and helped me through the maze of a new country, culture and language.  Strangers who are now Family.

I have lost myself - and gained a new life.

I have been pushed and pulled and stretched into new faith positions that I never dreamed were possible.  

I have learned a language that was not my own heart, but became the only way I can express some of my deepest thoughts.

I have strange stories that make me laugh - from even stranger experiences that, at the time were hardly funny.

I have learned, a little, about sacrifice and letting go, and trust, and living a day at a time in faith.

I have had few possessions and felt rich beyond measure.

I have seen God change lives dramatically, and slowly, and painfully.

I have seen God from another's eyes and loved Him.

All of this and more...

Because I followed God to Russia.

It is not the end.  There will be more stories. 

Texas stories, Russia stories. 

New life stories. 

Goodness, God is not finished with me, yet!  

This book is so good.