When Dreams Come True
by Eric and Leslie Ludy
(Click here to buy the book)
I got this book for my birthday. And I read it straight through in one "sitting"...from about midnight to about 5 am. *sheepish grin* And yes, that is a clue of how good this book is! I had to pause a few times and remind myself that this was real life, a true story...it's WAY better than a fairy tale! As the "tag line" says, it's a love story only God could write.
This is the story of Eric and Leslie Ludy; from childhoods rooted in faith through turbulent adolescent years as they each wandered from the Godly path through being drawn back into faithfulness to a faithful God--and eventually being drawn together in a way that could only be God. It is a story that stirs in me a longing for more...more in life, more of God. It's not "just another love story" by any standard, in any way. Eric and Leslie may have made some mistakes, but they both individually reached a place where their entire life was centered on God; where they were completely consumed with a passion for Him alone. As much as I want to someday have a love story as sweet as theirs, even more I am inspired to live a life story as passionate as theirs!
This story is so much bigger than the Ludy's courtship/love relationship; it is first of all about their individual love relationships with the Father. Because they simply tell their story, it never sounds preachy, yet it teaches lesson after lesson about building a life around God rather than trying to build God into a life; about living focused on God alone without distraction; about following Him even when it looks, sounds, seems crazy; about letting God redeem the mistakes we make and "starting fresh"; about trusting Him completely, in big things and small; about keeping God at the center of all our relationships and honoring Him in them; about honoring and cherishing a spouse...even when you haven't yet met them! And with lots of laughter spread generously throughout the book, it blasts into smithereens the idea that such a God-centered and controlled life could ever be boring, dull, or humorless.
In short: yes, this book made me laugh and it made me cry, but it also made me squirm with conviction and it stirred within me a great discontent with the "status quo" and an intense desire for "something more." Definitely one I will re-read, probably many times. On a scale of 1-10, this one is at least a 12... :)
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