The book The Encounter: Sometimes, God Has to Intervene by Stephen Arterburn takes place in Fairbanks, Alaska where the main character, Jonathan Rush, has traveled to search for the truth behind his mother's abandonment when he was four years old. With the help of a reporter, Jonathan's search for answers about his past leads him to the home of Mercy, a woman who holds the key to unlocking them. Howerver, before Jonathan can get those answers, he has to learn how to forgive his mother.I found this book enjoyable and easy to read, but I also felt like I was missing part of the story. I found myself going back to the previous chapters to see if I had missed something, only to find that the information was not in the previous chapters. While the book was lacking in details, I found it to have an excellent message. I really liked that Arterburn wrote this story by combining two true stories, and that he took the time to tell us about each true story at the end of the book. The message I took away from reading this book is best said by using Arterburn's own words on page 149 of this book: "Too often we sit around and wait for someone to make things right with us when we are the ones who need to move to right a wrong. When someone attempts to make amends, it is easy to reject that person, but accepting the effort to right the wrong helps that person and it helps you more. It allows you to bring closure to a festering wound. All of us truly need to be slow to anger and quick forgive and restore."
If you are struggling with forgiving someone and you need some inspiration, I would recommend this book. It really gives you something to think about.
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