But Even If…
Not Until Christmas Morning by Valerie M Bodden is the most charming contemporary Christian Christmas novel that I absolutely loved. It is the fifth book in the Hope Springs series but can be read as a stand-alone.
This is a novel about love. There is the love of God for us. “The one she always needed… was the love of God, His agape, never-ending love.” No matter where we are in life, whether on the mountain top or in the valley, God loves us with an everlasting, unchanging love.
We witness love between humans as we follow three characters who have loved and been let down. It seems easier to push others away than to let them in and risk heart ache.
Twelve-year-old Jackson has been through many foster homes – everybody hands him back again until he meets foster mum Leah who loves him with an unfailing love. Jackson pushes her away but her love is faithful.
A character has pushed God away after an IED in Afghanistan robbed him of a limb and friends. “Anyone who could still believe in God after the things they’d seen in battle was crazier than him.” Austin pushes God away but God is faithful and waits for the prodigal to return home.
There are burdens in life that we were never meant to carry. Austin is angry at God. “How could he be mad at God when he didn’t believe in God anymore?” God wants to exchange the anger for His peace. It is a peace despite our external circumstances. “The peace of knowing that whatever happened… was in God’s control.” There is nothing that happens in life that is outside God’s control. Nothing surprises God. He sees our end from our beginning. “God calls us home when He knows that time is right. There’s nothing that’s outside of His control.”
Worship is important. “Her heart felt a million times lighter after worshipping her Savior.” Worship connects us with the heart of God.
Characters have scars – some are mental, others are physical. “God knows what it’s like to be scarred. Jesus had scars too.” Our scars show our past. They show us where we have been and not where we are going.
We need to trust God with our futures. He was faithful in the past and He will be faithful in the future.
I absolutely adored Not Until Christmas Morning. I will leave you with my favourite quote:
“Faith isn’t faith if it only believes in God when He answers our prayers in the way we want Him to. Faith is faith when we believe even if.”
JULIA WILSON
