While I cannot say You Are Free by Rebekah Lyons is one of a kind I can say that it’s message is SO MUCH more than its 231 pages. I believe this book is part of a movement. The themes of freedom, rescue, calling, confession, rest, grief, weakness, celebration, bravery… they are common themes among female Christian authors right now.
These women are sharing their stories and women are listening. I am listening. My criticism of the book is minute – much of this story overlaps with Lyon’s last book Freefall to Fly. However, I’ve come to find this kind of overlap endearing. Kind of like having an old friend who tells you the same story twice, or several times. You know when your favorite author shares a story on social media that later appears in his/her book and you hear it again when they are on a book tour or interviewed by a podcaster. It’s how it goes when you have a relationship with someone. It seems Lyons is becoming an old friend and I guess that’s okay with me.
The chapters are titled “Free to…” and each includes Lyons story, quoted Scripture, stories from Scripture, and a great challenge “Becoming Free” page at the end of each chapter. Those sections include questions, things to consider, and actions you can take to move towards feeedom.
I love those action steps at the end of each chapter and found the beauty of this book and Lyons literary voice to be reflected in the practical and challenging nature of these “breaking free” exercises.
I combined reading and listening to this book (I wish the audiobook was read by Lyons herself) and often found myself going back to the pages to record thoughts or to my journal to record quotes. So many good nuggets.
I so appreciated the voice and gentle storytelling manner of Lyons. I’m familiar with her style and story and still found so much fresh content in this book, especially in the second half.
I also see this book as part of something larger than itself. I recently shared a review of Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen and also one of Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist. I reference them here again because I see them as a team. God is moving in the hearts of women. He is calling them to Himself through the Spiritual Disciplines and by seeing God as enough.
There are so many lines from this book you can find in the other two. At first I almost questioned the necessity of all these stories…. how many times can you say the same thing? Then I came back to that “old friend” analogy. You get to know a friend through those repetitious stories and the things closest to their hearts. Whether it was parts of Lyons story and life, shared again; or lines from these books that overlapped I saw the power in it. I felt the power.
There is no way for me to avoid commenting on the beautiful cover of this book and the use of florals in the formatting throughout its pages. I am a firm believer that the cover should reflect the contents and also draw us in. Boy does this cover do just that. I actually feel like the cover art is a nice reflection of Lyon’s personality. (After reading Freefall to Fly I had the privilege to sit in on a Skype interview with her, and love following her on Instagram where she really shares herself and her family life.)
I am grateful Lyons shared her story, in her voice and from her perspective. I loved when she tied in her family – like her daughter’s story in the “Free to be brave” chapter. I believe God is going to use this book. I hope you will grab a cup of coffee and dive in. This is one that I think is as powerful of a read experienced solo as it would be in a group and I’m typically a huge proponent of “books are better with a friend.”
A big “Happy 1 month anniversary!” to You are Free and Rebekah Lyons. I love seeing it pop up in my social media feeds as it continues to touch lives.
Thanks to Booklook bloggers for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
