‘I Will’ To Life
One Saturday Evening by T.K. Chapin is a contemporary Christian romance. It is the third book in the Diamond Lake series but can be read as a stand-alone. As with all T.K. Chapin’s stories, it is packed full of godly themes and has God at its heart.
The novel is about letting go. Letting go of the past. Past hurts need to be left behind in order to move towards the future.
The theme of forgiveness links in to this. God has forgiven us and we need to forgive others. If we don’t then we are ruining our future by letting bitterness and anger dwell in our hearts.
One Saturday Evening shows the importance of reading the Bible. We need to know God’s word and we need to live out God’s word. “God reveals new truths every time I read it.” God ‘speaks’ to us through the Bible. When we read His words they pierce our hearts.
The novel shows the importance of being motivated by love as described in 1 Corinthians: 13. “I needed to show love. It didn’t matter how well I prayed in church… if I didn’t have love.” It is no good talking the talk and being ‘seen’ to be good if we are not ‘good’ inside. Love needs to be the motivation for our lives.
T.K. Chapin also highlights the need to build up our characters with heavenly treasures. If we spend our lives chasing earthly treasures, it is pointless as they are meaningless – which reminded me of King Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes.
The story combines the past and the present as a feud between the Atkins and the Townsons rages. It is an ancient feud, so ancient that no one knows how it began.
This links to the theme of prejudice. Characters hear the name or see either the Atkins or the Townsons and they immediately judge them. This is wrong, we are never meant to judge anyone. We are meant to love – a point which T.K. Chapin emphasises.
One Saturday Evening was a perfect blend of a family story with a hint of romance and with God at the centre. I absolutely loved it. T.K. Chapin always writes stories that honour God. God is at the forefront of his novels, showing us the right way to live.
A fabulous story. T.K. Chapin’s stories just get better and better – and they were fabulous to start off with.
I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. No monetary compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.
JULIA WILSON