From the onset of the book, the transparency and realness of author Susanna Foth Aughtmon is clear. Her authenticity translated well, causing this reader to relax. Her personal accounts dispel any and all judgmental tones, replacing them instead with a sense of "I'm there, too." The reader is welcomed in, affirmed, validated, and loved through.
The Talking Snake
Inside perfection, evil roamed. The evil one took form, purposing "to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10, NIV) Eve (and Adam), thus putting an end to the pureness of God's creation. The author develops this idea beautifully, giving our mind's eye a deeper look into how Satan lured Eve with GREAT intention.
Eve's luring is our luring. Satan's tactic, the one that brought down Eden, remains in his arsenal. He's intentional, yet subtle. As the author writes:
"It begins with the voice of doubt and chaos, the voice that invites us to wonder if we don't deserve more than we've been given. It begins with the thought that no one can tell us what to do. It begins with a hiss and a mirthless laugh as we wander far away from the heart of the One who breathed life into us. It begins with the snake." (Aughtmon, 2012, pg 29)
It is in the luring we can learn a valuable lesson. Let's face it, as a child of the KING, we'll be tempted. Our soul is secure, but how we live our life for Him, the choices we make, the life we choose, can sadly still be in play. Eve had a choice: run or stay. I love how the author puts it:
"The problem was that Eve didn't turn on her heel and walk away. Eve paused a moment and gave his words credence. She weighed them against her own logic and what she recalled God saying to her. She did what so many of us have done on way too many occasions. Eve listened to the enemy of her soul." (Aughtmon, 2012, pg 33)
Like many of us, Eve took matters into her own hands. Instead of dropping and running to her Father, she began buying into what the snake had to say. Now, I truly don't believe Eve realized the fallout from just listening to the snake. I also don't believe she imagined the consequences, the generational consequences, from her one action. I do believe her pause changed everything. She paused to listen instead of running to the Father. As the author writes,
"It is important to invite God into the snaky conversations that take place in our minds and the niggling doubts that dig into our souls, because this is where the battle begins." (Aughtmon, 2012, pg 35)
Throughout the book, the author addresses "fallout" from the fall.
Chapter 6: I Want to Hide from God
Chapter 12: I Am a Perfectionist
Chapter 14: I Have Control Issues...Big Ones
Chapter 17: I Am a Little Self-Centered
But then, she beautifully writes the closing chapters that give us hope:
Chapter 21: I Need a New Idea of What Perfect Looks Like
Chapter 22: I Am Not in Control
Chapter 23: I Need a Paradigm Shift
Chapter 24: I Am Ready for a New Out-of-Control Me
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, giving it a 5/5 stars.
Stefanie Brown began writing after an encounter with the Lord during the summer of 2010. It was in that moment she knew writing was her ministry, her calling, her element. Her blog, UpLIFTing Words www.upliftingwordsonline.com was birthed out of the encounter. You can find her on Twitter: stefanieybrown; Facebook: Stefanie Young Brown; or contact her via email: stefaniebrown.skylift@gmail.com.