Redemption (47 page)

For several years I’ve been dreaming about creating fiction, putting together a series of novels that would illustrate what I believe God teaches about relationships. During the past thirty years, I’ve written many books about how to restore broken relationships. But nothing touches the heart, nothing fleshes out the truth quite like a good story.

A Dream Come True

A few years ago I came across a novel by Karen Kingsbury and read it on a long flight. Halfway through the flight, my son Greg elbowed me in the ribs. “Dad . . .” He looked nervously around to see if anyone was looking. “You’re crying pretty loudly there. Everything okay?”

I had no words. I simply pointed to the book and kept weeping.

Karen’s books were the first ones that ever really made me cry. Since then I have read everything she has written. It is clear to me that God has given her a special gift, an ability to create stories that not only touch hearts but also change lives.

In no time at all Karen became my favorite fiction author. She also gave me an idea. As I came to know her, suddenly I could see my dream of collaborating with a fiction writer taking shape. My themes and lessons about relationships . . . her storytelling. We had a meeting that summer, and God gave us the ideas for our Redemption series.

The series will follow the lives of John and Elizabeth Baxter and their five adult children, each of whom is trying to find his or her way in life—sometimes with God, sometimes without. The series will follow the paths of pain and pleasure, tragedy and tears that take place in the lives of Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke.

The Baxters, their spouses, and friends experience the same struggles each of us faces—the longing for lasting love, the hurt of broken relationships, the fear of the unknown, questions about the future, the sorrow of loss, and the joy of restored relationships. Over time you’ll come to know the Baxter family as if they were your neighbors or members of your own family. My guess is you’ll even see yourself in one or more of them.

At the end of each book Karen and I will provide questions that can be used for book clubs, small groups, or as a guide for your own personal reflection.

The bottom line is this: The Redemption series is my dream come true, fiction that will teach and touch our longing hearts. I  am convinced these books will make you laugh and cry. I know they will leave you with a deeper understanding of how you can build rich relationships with the people in your life.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

Reflections on Relationships

Most of us are like the Baxters: We want intimate relationships, but we often go through life dazed—hurting and being hurt by those we love. In the process we end up with broken, fractured, distant relationships.

In Kari’s case, her relationship with her husband—the man with whom she wanted the deepest, most intimate relationship—was battered and broken. She had a decision to make: Would she stay with him and love him no matter what, or would she do what most people thought she should do—give him the divorce he demanded?

Kari made a tough choice. She decided to love Tim unconditionally.

Love is a decision. Not always an easy one.

You may be facing a similar situation in your life. Maybe your marriage is distant or even broken, and you need to decide what to do. Maybe you are like several of the Baxter children and feel disconnected from family members. Maybe you’ve been hurt by a friend and have to decide whether or not you will stay in the relationship.

Whatever your situation, there is hope. God can redeem our broken relationships and restore them to wholeness. God can give us the strength and grace to love in the midst of difficult circumstances.

If you are struggling with a difficult marriage, I am concerned for you. I pray that God will redeem and restore that relationship. As you recall, one of the tools God used to restore Kari and Tim’s marriage was something called a marriage intensive, an intensive counseling experience that helped Tim and Kari understand how they were hurting each other and how they could rebuild their marriage. That same help is available to you. If you would like to attend a marriage intensive or if you need other relational help, I urge you to contact us at:

The Smalley Relationship Center

1482 Lakeshore Drive

Branson, MO 65616

Phone: (800) 84-TODAY (848-6329)

FAX: (417) 336-3515

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.smalleyonline.com

Discussion Questions

Use these questions for individual reflection or for discussion with a book club or other small group.

1. Which character did you most closely relate to in the book? Why?

2. What character would you most want to be like? Why?

3. Where did you see the redemption theme playing out in the book? Which characters in this book dealt with issues of redemption, and how were those issues different for different characters? Describe how redemption was played out in the lives of key characters.

4. Where have you seen redemption in your life? Reflect on a time when you were in need of God’s redemption and found it. How did that happen?

5. What characters best exemplified the type of love you would like to have in your relationships? How did those people express their love?

6.
Redemption
dealt with a variety of relational struggles. Which one did you most relate to? How is your struggle similar? How is it different? What do you feel causes you to stay stuck in your struggle? What will it take for you to move beyond your struggle?

7. What did you think of Kari’s resolve to stay married? How did she demonstrate that resolve? Was it something that came easily for her? What threatened her resolve?

8. List some of the attributes that might describe the love Kari had for her husband. How can those same attributes be helpful—or even possible—in your life?

9. What finally turned Tim around? What kept Tim from loving Kari as he had promised to love her? Which of those hindrances do you see in your life? What can you do about it?

10. How did you feel about Ryan Taylor? Describe the kind of love he had for Kari during the first half of the book. How did that love change? In what relationships do you love people the way Ryan initially loved Kari? What can you do to change?

11. Many people gave Kari advice about her situation. If Kari had asked you for advice, what would you have told her? Why?

12. If Tim had come to you for advice, what would you have told him? Why?

13. If Ryan had come to you for advice, what would you have told him? Why?

14. Kari’s siblings are important to her. Describe the relationship she has with each one. Describe the relationship you have with your siblings.

15. Describe the relationship between John and Elizabeth Baxter. What were some of the subtle signs and practical ways they showed their love for each other? What are the practical ways you do or could show your love to the people in your relationships?

16. How did John and Elizabeth’s marriage affect Kari and Tim’s marriage? What impact does your marriage (or your other close relationships) have on the people around you?

17. Clear Creek Community Church played a significant role in the lives of several of the Baxter family members. What positive influence did the church people have on various family members? Was the church’s involvement with the family effective, or would you have wanted Christians to handle things differently? Explain. What role do your church friends or leaders play in your relationships?

18. The counselors at the marriage intensive told Kari and Tim about their personal dance. This involved recognizing their deepest fears, analyzing their coping behaviors, and recognizing how this pattern was causing distance between them. See if you can identify your own dance and the way it plays out in your closest relationships. Are the steps of your dance bringing you closer to the people you love or putting distance between you?

19. What relationships in the Baxter family still need restoration and redemption? What relationships in your life need redemption? Where and how will you find that redemption?

20. Throughout
Redemption
God found creative ways to speak to the people in the story. How does God speak to you? At the same time consider the ways of the enemy and his distracting voice. In what ways is the enemy trying to distract you?