“…If I could express my one hope for compiling this book, my prayer is that these entries of theirs would call us to search faithfully for God in His Word. And upon discovering His unchanging, faithful, merciful, and loving character, I pray we would be more fully moved in obedience to Him that we too might leave a lasting legacy of faith as my parents did.”

-Valerie Elliot Shepard

How much can a person glean from the letters of a man and a woman in love? When that couple is as given over to the Lord as Jim and Elisabeth were – we can glean a lot.

Earlier this year, when I saw a new book out about Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, compiled and with additional commentary by their daughter Valerie, I couldn’t wait to start reading it! In the midst of their struggles and uncertainties, there is infused into their personal writings an unmistakable love and hunger for God and an intense desire for God’s will to be done in their lives – even if it be at the expense of their dearest, most heartfelt dreams. I have found great encouragement through getting this inside view of their thought processes and their constant efforts toward living lives of surrender to the Lord. The encouragements are not just regarding the relationship between a man and a woman in love. I have found encouragement far beyond that as the letters between this couple were not all-consumed with their love and longing for each other. They each – together as well as separate from the other – had a single eye for loving God, following His will, and living lives of service to Him. This is beautifully obvious in the letters they wrote.

I’d recommend this for young adults/adults (or ask your parent to approve it for you if you’re on the younger side or not sure if the time is right to read it).

-Annie

“I think His kindness toward her childlike prayer is so tender. ‘Lord, I am but a little child,’ she wrote at the time, ‘and know not how to go out or come in.’ She was somewhat hesitant to ask something so temporal of Him because she was afraid her own fleshly desire to be with my dad might outweigh her overriding prayer about constantly dying to self. But nothing outweighed being in moment-by-moment alignment with God and His purposes…

“This call to be still and wait on him for guidance was very real in my parents’ hearts, and I’m thankful for their example of spending at least an hour each day (often more) doing nothing else. Every letter and journal entry of theirs reveals this longing to be serious about prayer and sincerely seek God’s face. Therefore, I’m not surprised at all to read of my father’s continual watching for some kind of confirmation or direction before feeling free to pursue marriage.

“In fact, this observation leads to my second point, more general in nature: their devotion to Scripture…”

– Valerie Elliot Shepard

“Her only certainty in the matter was the assurance to ask, ‘Lord, rule my will and affections.’ As long as she devotedly maintained this point of surrender, she knew everything was sure of working toward God’s desired ends.”

– Valerie Elliot Shepard