In this inspiring collection of short essays, Dr. Monica Doroteo-Espinosa, a nurse educator in the Republic of Korea, presents over 25 inspiring stories from “individuals who came to know the Lord Jesus as their personal savior and Lord.” In this book of life-lessons covering such broad topics as love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, each contributor shares with the author his or her experiences of hope, conversions, and answered prayers.
As the title suggests, this is a book of ordinary people struggling to find purpose and meaning in their lives. Yet the extraordinary can be found in the ordinary, and what makes this anthology so endearing is the depth of emotion and sense of awakening that the contributors suggest can occur in the monotonies, struggles, love and laughter of everyday life.
Pastor Librico T. Bayadog, for example, recounts how his son succumbed to drugs and the influence of negative people. But prayers and the belief that God is ultimately in control leads the boy back to his family. Opening the book, this story is one of the most touching and invokes images of the parable of “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”
In another story, Marites D. Funelas, a mother and wife, shares how God called her to mission work and provided for her family after her husband was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. And the author offers a touching memorial to one of her sisters, Maria Corrina Grace Cajigal Doroteo, “a sweet, loving, generous thoughtful and God-fearing person” who succumbed to cancer in 2010. These simple stories of simple lives remind us that blessings do happen in this sometimes-crazy world.
While the book could use polishing in terms of correcting misplaced commas, run-on sentences, and awkward sentences (which may stem from contributors not being native English speakers or writers), the author aimed to inspire, and, in this, she has succeeded. Doroteo-Espinosa has done a fine job compiling these tender stories of faith and devotion.
Also available as an ebook.
