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YA Friday: READ Review, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis with Beth Clark

“Jesus wrecked my life.” These powerful words from Katie Davis provide a beautiful portrait in miniature of today’s YA Friday feature, Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption (Howard Books, 2011). Katie’s 22, which explains the “YA” connection, but her story has a much broader appeal.  Jesus wrecked Katie’s comfortable, loose-ends-tied up, American teenager life because she chose to listen—and obey. Like the biblical Philip on the way to Gaza, she took the road less traveled in response to God’s call. At first, that road led to a short-term missions trip in a Ugandan orphanage. Katie’s parents no doubt thought that would take care of her little missions kick. But they didn’t count on Jesus. And they certainly didn’t count on Katie. Kisses from Katie, like the author’s popular blog, details her adventures as first mission volunteer, then kindergarten teacher and ultimately adoptive mom of fourteen, founder of a nonprofit organization, and long-term missionary to Uganda. No, Katie doesn’t preach a social gospel. Instead, she lives the whole gospel, the one that compels us to wash our neighbor’s feet and to love those neighbors as we love ourselves. She lives out that gospel day after day amongst a hopeless people in a desperate place. You see, this isn’t a book you read. Collaborative writer Beth Clark combines a narrative thread and Katie’s journal entries with such skill that you experience Katie’s story alongside her. You pick hundreds of jiggers (burrowing insects) from a child’s inflamed skin. You prepare meals for your family without benefit of microwave or fast-food restaurant. You dance and hug and laugh at the center a circle of children who may never have known a loving touch. Above all, you hurt as Jesus hurts. You love as He does. And, like He does, you stay. You stay because you can do nothing else. Put this book at the top of your must-read list for 2012. People matter to Jesus. It’s our privilege, responsibility, and message to carry that message in ways that cost. Read it. Live it. And allow Jesus to wreck your life, too. Katie says it better than I do. Watch the trailer for her book here and feel free to leave a comment below. Have you served in missions? Did others’ stories help move you to go? Fill me in! CHRISTMAS CONTEST: Leave a blog comment and you’ll be entered in my drawing for a Christmas prize package. It contains several of this year’s review books along with a bonus or two. I’ll share more about this next week, but link or list your email address so I can contact the winnner. One entry per person per blog post, please; US...

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