Murray Pura's An Amish Family Christmas ~ Reviewed

An Amish Family Christmas

Murray Pura
Pages   137 
Binding  Softcover 
Release Date   Jul 1, 2013 
Publisher   Harvest House Publishers 
ISBN  0736952373  

Description

After tragedy strikes the family of young Naomi Miller, her friend Rebecca Bachman does all she can to help. But things get complicated when Rebecca's brother, Micah, returns from a combat tour in Afghanistan. For one thing, he chose to serve in the military even though he served as a medic and never picked up a gun. For another, he is under the Meidung--the shunning-- because of that and none of the Amish are permitted to speak to him or eat with him. And finally, he is not only Rebecca's brother, he is Naomi's husband But how can Naomi pick up where their marriage left off after he turned away from her and his people to enlist in the army? How can Naomi and Micah even begin the process of healing their relationship when he will not repent of what he has done and the Amish will not forgive him for what he has done? Naomi despairs of ever again having a happy married life with her husband.

But God has a way of working on the hearts of His people--especially at Christmas time. When an unexpected turn of events sets things right, miracles happen to the Amish community, to the Miller family, and to Naomi and Micah, miracles that transform everyone.

Here is warm and tender story of faithfulness, love, and reconciliation at the most wonderful time of the year.

Review: 

An Amish Family Christmas starts with a young Amish woman, Naomi.  Her sister-in-law, Rebecca, is now living with her, as her husband went against the Amish faith and joined the military to serve as a medic in Afghanistan.  Not only that, but her parents and sister were just killed in a buggy accident, and her brother Luke was severely injured.  When she thinks things can’t get any worse, her husband, Micah, shows up, home from war.  However, because he went against the Amish faith, and refuses to repent as he feels the Lord called him to serve his country, they find themselves in an almost worse situation.  He is allowed to live with Naomi, but they can’t talk, touch or communicate unless he repents, or unless the bishops change their minds and lift the bann, which seem seems impossible.  However, through prayer and study of the Word, Naomi and Rebecca begin to see the Lord work through various situations.

This was a short but good book.  There were so many things that came at these young people, and though they thought there was no escape and no answers, they continued to bring their problems before the Lord and trust that He would work it out somehow.  One of my favorite quotes was, “It’s on God’s shoulders and His shoulders are broad.”  That’s a good reminder to all of us when we’re going through trials and situations.  We may not be able to handle it in our own strength, but the Lord can.

Reviewed by:Sarah Meyers