Ever Hopeful

I took the time to finish my book. Catching Moondrops is yet another gem; the truest gem of the series, in my opinion. Jennifer Valent has captured a conflicted soul, one who knows the good but has yet to embrace it, struggling to be rid of the bitterness and hate within. In her own words:

I knew I couldn't live like this. Not like this. My conscience would eat me up inside until there was nothing left of me. I needed peace in my soul like I needed water, and I was afraid I'd dry up and die if I didn't find it.

In my mind, a sort of chant started. 'I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't live like this. I can't.' I lifted my face to the heavens and cried out loud, "I can't!"

And then clear as a bell, I knew who could.

I'd heard it a million times before ... But it hadn't ever meant a single thing to me. Until this night, mired in the bleakness of my soul, with the moonlight illuminating my murky heart. That's when it all suddenly went inside me like it had sunk into my pores and found its way into my bloodstream.

I tipped my face upward and whispered one word. "Please."

It was the most important little word I'd ever said. It was a word I'd used a million times in my life, but it had never held so much meaning before in all my days.

Redemption. I never tire of reading about hopeless hearts being filled with hope. This book resonated with me, because the themes within it's pages have depth to them. The characters deal with loss, love, and life in the real world. Though a work of fiction, Valent strikes a chord with readers because the world that she paints mirrors the one that we all live in. There is evil and darkness, but there is also goodness and light. It is because of the light of Christ that we do not fall into utter darkness. It is because of Him that there is always hope.

I caught a brilliant moondrop, and I highly recommend that you find yours. The final installment of Valent's trilogy shines brightly, perhaps the brightest of the three.

When God enters a heart, He opens the eyes ... And as I sat there in that swing, holding on to the ropes, I breathed in the true goodness of all I'd had and hoped there was lifetime of that type of goodness ahead so I could enjoy it all to the fullest.

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