BOOK REVIEW
JOYFUL WITNESS
by Kathleen Bates
Amazon.com. £7.99 or from
Kingcase Press
PO Box 8494
Prestwick KA9 2WW
ISBN 0-9550771-0-9
£6.99 – 110pp
Coincidences: are they the product of pure chance, or might they have
some hidden significance? Testifying to the coincidences and other startling
events which have deepened her faith in God, the author invites readers
to reflect on any surprising sources of help which they themselves may
have experienced in times of stress.
For over thirty years she has kept a record of coincidences which
have happened in her ordinary family life. Although some might appear
trivial in themselves, together they begin to appear as messages which
offer comfort in times of trouble and ultimately lead to God. These
coincidences over the years have given her an insight into how events
which others could have considered of little importance have given inner
strength and shaped her faith.
The book is an account of many of the difficult experiences which
are common to humanity – stress, depression, bereavement and loneliness,
and how the author feels that she has received guidance and reassurance
though unexplained events, as an answer to her prayers.
Through this open account of personal experience, readers can perhaps
relate to episodes in their own lives which have left them bewildered
and confused. The writer has noticed that coincidences have often followed
when she has prayed for guidance, and it has brought her to an awareness
of how little we understand the workings of an unseen dimension which
operates beyond our logical thought pattern. This book may help you
to make sense of some unexplained coincidences in your own experience,
Joyful Witness is a well-written and thoughtful account of
personal experience over a lifetime. Interspersed with extracts from
the scriptures, and verse appropriate to each event, it gives an insight
into how faith can be deepened by those coincidences which 'stop you
in your tracks'.
Fiona Smith |
