Book Review: One Call Away

I was excited to read One Call Away by Brenda Warner for two main reasons.  The first is that Brenda’s husband, Kurt, was the driving force behind the Arizona Cardinal’s making it into the Superbowl.  Being from Arizona, I was one of the many Arizonans that suddenly became a Cardinal’s fan.  The second is that Brenda’s parents had been killed in a tornado in Mountain View, AR—where I now live.  Somehow, I felt that connected us in some way.

I had mixed emotions while reading One Call Away.  On the one hand, I felt a bit surprised by her early life, when her faith in Jesus and her actions didn’t really seem to match up.  On the other hand, it was refreshing to read the memoir of someone who wasn’t always perfect.  She made mistakes, and justified her actions at the time, but don’t we all do that in some way?  And then, the mistakes she made are not portrayed positively.  They realized their mistakes and worked to correct them.

That said, the thing I liked most about One Call Away was that it was real.  This is no perfect woman or warrior of the faith.  Instead, she is someone just like you and me.  Read it, but don’t take it as a “how-to-live-your-life” book.  Instead, take it for the authentic and encouraging story that it is.  Be encouraged by the reminder that God is always there, even in unspeakable pain and hardship…even in normal, everyday lives.

I received this book through Booksneeze.  Check it out!