James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (ASV)
Romans 8:15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father
While the book, The Grace Effect, is a story of redemption through adoption, it is also a bit of history textbook. I'm not sure that a review written by me will do it justice, but I will try.
When we think of adoption, do we think of rescuing a child, or loving a child? Did God rescue us because we needed to be rescued or because He loved us?
We find our answer in 1 John 4:19 We love, because he first loved us.
He first loved us. He saw us playing in the world, and His heart was overwhelmed for love with us. And He chose to adopt me....to make me His own! Wow!The Taunton family, well Mom and the three sons, met a young girl in Orphanage #17. That just sounds like a lovely place, huh? Orphanage #17 is located in Odessa, Ukraine. "Sasha" stole the Taunton family's hearts while they were on a missions trip to the Ukraine.
The Grace Effect is a uniquely woven story, of how Dad, Larry Taunton, came to love a child he had never even met and the process of adoption through the lens of an atheistic society.
It is a very moving narrative. As a reader, I found myself rooting for Sasha and the Taunton family as they were asked for 'gifts' to get papers moved from one place, or another....or people! I wanted to sing the alphabet song along with the family as they began teaching Sasha to speak English. When the family learned that Sasha was fully their child, according to the Ukrainian government, I desired to hug Viktor's neck - he provided translation and assistance for each step of the adoption process.
If you have ever considered adopting a child, any child, I would put The Grace Effect on a list of 'must read books'! If you are curious about how orphans in the once Eastern bloc are treated, read this book! If you have a love for children, read this book!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.....like adoption!
God's girl,
Pamela
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
