Accepting Forgiveness

We are currently going through a series at my church called “Forgiven: The Free Power of Forgiveness.” The pastor has covered God’s forgiveness, forgiving others and forgiving ourselves. I found it fitting that I get to review Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh during this sermon series because the theme when right along with it.

Harriet Bisset, AKA Harri, was one of those rebellious PKs (preacher’s kids”. She left the church, turned her back on God and hurt her friends and family when she dove into a world of cigarettes, alcohol, tattoos and men. After two years of living in this way, she reaches rock bottom and is brought back into the fold. And for eight years, Harri has shielded herself from all of those past temptations. Then the safety of the cocoon she’s built around herself gets tested when Maddox McCray, a tattooed, long-haired, motorcycle-riding church consultant, is hired by her church to turn things around. Can Harri leave the safe world she has built without giving into temptation? Can she forgive herself for her past failures?

What I loved most about Splitting Harriet is how quickly Maddox realizes he likes Harri. He repeatedly points out her flaws and errors but with caring and understanding. And while Harri is usually upset at first, she comes to the realization that he was right and doing what is best for her.

When we’ve made mistakes that lead us far from God, it’s sometimes hard to grasp how freely His forgiveness if given. We feel like we are required to pay for it. As Harri finds her true self, and true love, she learns God’s love and forgiveness are there for the taking at no cost to her.

****Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a positive or a negative review.