Devotedly, by Valarie Elliot Shepard [book review]

“Devotedly” is the unique love story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, told through their letters and journals with input form their only daughter, Valerie.

Both Jim and Elisabeth fell in love while still being convinced that God was calling into His service as single missionaries on separate mission fields. For the next several years they grappled with the question of whether they could truly live in obedience to God while loving each other. For both of them, their devotion to and passion for Christ was more important than their desire to spend their lives together, and they wrestled with God’s leading and understanding His seemingly contradictory will for their lives. While their love story is a bit confusing and frustrating to read and hard to understand, I truly admire the way they trusted God to lead them when they couldn’t see the way. He was number one in both their lives, and that example is both inspiring and convicting.

I enjoyed getting to know their personalities a bit. Jim drove me crazy sometimes and I wanted to smack him upside the head a number of times. Elisabeth surprised me by making me laugh out loud a few times! I loved how their daughter showed us that her parents were human beings with sinful natures, and who were always in the process of being sanctified and stretched. I know it’s easy to put them on a pedestal and forget that they were normal people. While I wouldn’t say their love story is an example for young people to follow today, (Jim demanded to much commitment from Elisabeth while refusing to give her any commitment himself; they also to their pre-marital physical relationship too far, which makes me question their purity a little) I am inspired by their faith and the strength of their love for Jesus and for one another, and their struggle to do things in the way of Christ and not give in to their own understanding or temptations.

5 ⭐️