Title: Growing Up In Marriage…Perfectly Flawed
Author: Tena L. Parker
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN: 978-1977237224
Pages: 434
Genre: Love & Relationship / Christian
Reviewed by: Lily Amanda
Pacific Book Review
In Growing Up In Marriage…Perfectly Flawed, author Tena L. Parker invites readers into the most intimate places of her life as she writes about her marriage, challenges, mistakes, the choices she made, and developing faith in God. She further gives a glimpse of her moments of brokenness, God’s healing, and eventual redemption.
At the heart of this rich, extensive, and layered memoir is a compass pointing readers to God, a loving Father and the only true healer who can restore every broken area in our lives if we allow Him in. The author addresses her flaws, being a work in progress as she deals with a myriad of issues, en masse with Jesus, entrusting cares and wishes to God. The book draws from Parker’s insightful anecdotes to set out a thorough spiritual foundation for those seeking renewal and restoration in their lives.
Growing Up In Marriage…Perfectly Flawed carries a message of God’s unending love, His grace, and forgiveness. Author Parker uses a remarkable storytelling ability to tell the story in a raw and candid manner in the hope that it will help others heal from their pain and in other cases, offer a lifeboat to push couples back to shore in a situation where marriage is crumbling. The book’s main strength is its interaction with the Scripture and the many real-life illustrations in Parker’s life that give it a practical feel.
I found this book to be head smackingly honest and deeply insightful. Life, the book advises, will come with challenges. But no matter what kind of obstacles it throws at you, these challenges are at times a springboard to God’s purpose in our future. It closes up with numerous beautiful verses that are bound to serve as a source of encouragement along with twelve steps to help liberate the mind and heart.
Ultimately, this impactful read by Tena L. Parker is a much necessary balm and a compassionate process for learning to forgive yourself and seeing yourself as God does.
