Yes to God Tuesday: "Behind Those Eyes" Review...

The Yes to God Tuesday study on “Behind Those Eyes: What’s really going on inside the souls of women” by Lisa Whittle (and hosted by Lelia at "Write From Heart") was most definitely a gift sent from God for me. Although I did not get to ‘properly’ finish the study with the other ladies due to life getting a bit out of control late last year, I have still been reading through the book, and last night I finished it!

Lisa starts to book with a chapter called “The Truth Hurts”. And it does! Right from that chapter to the end, there were a lot of truths that jumped out and jabbed me right where it hurts the most...in my soul! Lisa finished the book with “The Truth Heals”, which is most poignant as, from cover to cover, this book shows that the truth not only hurts but it heals, and healing is what a lot of women (and men, if truth be known) need in their lives.

“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32.

Lisa showed us in each chapter about how this verse is so very truth, from covering the various charades that we hide behind (perfection, confidence, happiness and spirituality) to the fact that we use cosmetics (not literally though!) to cover up the blemishes in our souls and how we conceal all that we can about ourselves. But the jewel, the shining light, the beacon of hope, and, as Lisa calls it, "THE REAL DEAL", comes in part three. Fourteen words in two sentences that come straight from the Father to us via Lisa...

“We are completely loved and accepted completely”...“we are completely flawed yet forgiven completely.”

These are 14 words that we need to hear, and 14 words that we need to REALLY believe. God loves us in spite of ourselves. We are the reason why we don’t feel free. We equate freedom to the worldly perspective; what this person thinks of us, to how we look, to why we act the way we do. But God, and let’s thank Him for this, He does not change the way He thinks about us, we don’t have to do anything to impress Him, He made us the way we are and delights in what we consider foibles, and He created us to act, talk, walk, think, sit, eat...just everything really...the way we do.

Isn’t it pleasing, and a relief, to know that we...do...not...need...to...impress...anyone! The only One that matters is already impressed with us!

I think that I am hopeless at life...at times. I think that I fail at doing this or doing that...at times. I sometimes think I laugh too loud, frown too much and daydream a little too often, but the realisation is that this is who I am meant to be has now hit home through reading Lisa’s book. I laugh loud because it’s my way of sharing my joy, I frown too much because I am a deep thinker, and I daydream a little too often because I know that there is more to life than just getting up and doing the same old thing every day.

There are many scribbles in my “Behind Those Eyes” book now, and too many for me to make reference to my favourite quotes from Lisa. Basically, I loved the whole book. It IS truth and it IS a means of freedom for anyone who is trapped in a life of not quite being who you think you should be. If you want to know the person that God planned for you to be, read the book. It will open your eyes, and your soul, to the ‘you’ that God intended. It will teach you that ‘you’ are the reason that your soul is clouded with doubt and fear, and also why freedom in your heart, soul and mind is just that little bit out of your grasp.

In closing, I will quote Lisa who clears up that mystery, when she writes...

“Know this, my sisters and friends: Jesus is the only One who can truly heal our souls, from the inside out.”

There, my friends, is how you can find out “what’s really going on inside” your soul. His truth is simple: He loves us just the way we are (there is that Bridget Jones quote again!). We make it hard as we do not open ourselves up to the truth, which is a truth that WILL set you free.