By Stephen Court, Major –
Dear Lisa,
Can I call you Lisa? We haven’t met but I feel like I know you, having read your innermost thoughts and desires and experiences—defeats and victories—through your new book “Love To A Whore’s Daughter: Life and Faith Through the Lens of Grace and Redemption” (Frontier Press, 2015).
I read your book. First up—thanks.
Thanks for baring your soul. Thanks for the unvarnished grace and truth poured out with alley eloquence. Thanks for the easy slang and gripping detail. Thanks for the tears (yours and mine). Thanks for the inspiration. Thanks to God for the supernatural victories he’s won and is evidently winning in and through your life.
I’m guessing I’m likely not your target demographic. I can’t relate firsthand to some of the tragic experiences you describe. But I know a growing number of people who are caught up in oppression, prejudice, abuse, and more. I hope that all kinds of people who are victims of these kinds of sins (as well as the perpetrators of those kinds of sins) will read this book. I’ve got to confess, though, some of the other topics sure hit home—judging, legalism, comparing, weasel-befriending, fake uncles, potential Miriams, crushing expectations, fighting injustice, the curse of coasting on good enough. So, on second thought, maybe you were writing at me.
What I hope people sort out quickly is that this book is all about Salvation life—yes, you likely recognize that I’m ripping that term from William Booth’s famous Millenium (sic) article. But since you add a new dictionary definition of this miracle he and his wife Catherine teamed up with God to birth—The Salvation Army is where warriors go to church—I figure that I can apply his term to your book. I reckon this teaching has been very effective for those you are discipling. I’m confident God will use it similarly in multiplied ways with readers around the world.
I salute you, sister. I salute your writing skills. I salute your exploits performed in Jesus’ power for his glory.
Stay close to Jesus. Keep writing.
Much grace,
Major Stephen Court