One of the reasons I love reading fiction is that it transports me to places I’ll probably never go and, with historical fiction, to times in history when things were very different. The second installment of The Bride Ships series, The Runaway Bride, by Jody Hedlund is the story of Arabella Lawrence, a young woman who escapes an arranged marriage by fleeing on a bride ship to a boomtown in British Columbia in 1862. Coming from wealth, she hopes to find a suitor equal to her in class, but one who will share her faith and treat her with respect.

She meets two very different men who pursue her and finds herself struggling over who to accept. This engaging story is full of adventure, intrigue, inspiration, and romance, and I found it hard to put it down until I’d finished it.

Arabella learns that “character is much more important than class” as she gets to know Richard Drummond, a Navy lieutenant, and Peter Kelly, the town baker. She arrives full of fear and insecurities, but in the process of becoming better acquainted with her suitors, she discovers who she really is and her faith in God deepens as she begins to trust Him more. “For so long she’d lived the way everyone else had wanted her to—not only the way polite society dictated but also at the beckon of her father, stepmother, … the chaperones on the ship, and now the lieutenant. Was it time to finally stop living according to the expectations of everyone else and instead find her direction from God alone?”

What a lesson for us all! How many times do we find ourselves making decisions based on pleasing someone else, rather than God? We can find ourselves negating our witness, rather than standing up to peer pressure. Paul tells us, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10 (ESV))

Not only do we weaken our witness when we seek approval from men rather than God, we can find our insecurity grows and our faith falters. Our strength should come from trusting in God and His Word, standing firm on what we know to be true about Him and His faithfulness, and seeking His approval and blessing.

Pete Kelly is not equal to Arabella’s class in society, yet he befriends her, demonstrating to her the passion of living out one’s faith. However, he has his own demons to work out. The more he tries to win her affections, the more he feels like everything is falling apart and the righteous life he strives for hasn’t brought the results he expects. His father tried to teach him that “claimed trials and difficulties would produce deeper character and genuine faith. At the time, Pete had scoffed at such an idea. But now, in the midst of his own tribulation, he saw the wisdom in it. And suddenly he realized he was at a crossroads. He could continue to wallow in anger at God and push Him away whenever things didn’t go smoothly. Or he could trust that God wasn’t as concerned about giving him a happy life as He was about developing a holy heart.”

The world tells us to seek happiness, but God is more concerned about our heart! So, how do we develop a holy heart and please Him? It takes courage!

At the beginning of the book, Arabella is given a plain, silver cross and told it is “her courage…like no other can [give but God].” Throughout the book, she holds on to the cross as a tangible way to bolster her courage. We, too, need courage and strength—to stand against the pressures of this world, our peers, and the devil, who is the father of lies.

I John 2:15 warns us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” I Peter 5:8-9a exhorts us to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, [stand] firm in your faith.”

There are over 114 references throughout the Bible that speak of courage, depending on the version you read. Two that reassure me are:
  - Psalm 31:24 (NKJV) – “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
  - John 16:33 (NASB) “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

The cross Arabella held tightly to is important—it is because of the cross we are able to find courage in the face of our fears. Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection three days later empower us to not only grab on to courage, but to gain that holy heart God wants to develop in us.

Blessings to you!
Lori  

Susan May Warren is one of my absolute favorite authors! She has great characters, intriguing story lines, and spiritual lessons woven throughout. She writes her books in series, and The Way of the Brave is the first book in her latest series, Global Search and Rescue. The story centers around Orion (Ry) Starr, a former pararescue jumper, who is dealing with failures and injuries from a rescue gone wrong while serving in Afghanistan. He and two friends are called upon to rescue three female climbers lost on Denali in Alaska. Suspense, endurance, and brokenness surround the characters as they struggle to survive and get off the mountain safely.

Ry is angry at God, struggling with issues of acceptance at what’s happened to him in the past and anger at God for not answering his prayers the way he expects. His friend, Ham, tells him, “You’re mad because God didn’t answer your prayer back in the cave the way you wanted him to. You asked Him to rescue us—but you meant without any wounds...But you might consider that God uses our wounds to heal us. Make us stronger. And give us compassion for those who are also wounded.”

One of the female climbers is Jenny Calhoun, a former CIA profiler and psychiatrist Orion served with in Afghanistan. They had a brief relationship, which adds to Ry’s problems during the rescue.  She is one of the wounded, dealing with her own issues of suffering and disappointment in God. One of her friends who’s stranded with her, tells her, “What if God lets us suffer so we can reach out to Him for comfort and in that moment receive everything He wants for us? Freedom. Hope. Love. The things we wouldn’t have if we didn’t have Him. He is just that relentless in His pursuit of your heart. Maybe it’s time you let Him catch you.”

At one time or another, we’ve all struggled either with understanding why God answers some prayers and not others, or how He answers our prayers, often in ways we never expect. He understands the emotions we experience: anger, frustration, discouragement, etc. He also understands our reaction to the suffering and sorrows we experience. It all boils down to trust, though—do we trust God to know what’s best for us, despite our circumstances, or do we limit Him to only what we can see?

Ry comes to realize “we don’t stop living life just because bad things can, or will, happen. We just keep going forward, trusting in God’s plan for us, even if bad things happen. God is still there, still in control. Still saving us. Still protecting us.”

John 16:33 tells us Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” It’s amazing to think in the midst of tribulation, we can find peace. That peace comes from Who we put our trust in!

I Peter 1:6-7 gives us the reason for trials and suffering: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Faith without testing isn’t really faith at all, is it?

We never know who is watching us, observing how we live out our faith, especially during difficult times. Our suffering can be used in in the lives of others as Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Once I started reading The Way of the Brave, I literally couldn’t put it down. If you take the time to read it, I know the characters will draw you in, but I hope you will see the wonderful lessons to be learned to help you deal with tough situations you find yourself in. My prayer is that instead of blaming God and thinking He’s let you down, you’ll recognize His loving hand on your life and not lose heart.

I’ll leave you with another of my favorite verses: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1b-3a)

Blessings to you, and may you let Him catch you!
Lori