Heroes of the Faith: Darlene Diebler Rose

Today I am excited to share with y'all a book that has truly touched and changed my life. I was recently asked the question: "What was the last book you read that really caused you to grow in your Faith?" I love reading and so I am so excited to discover new books to add to my library or to find ones that I haven't read in a while to read again through this link up!   The book that I just re-read was called: "Evidence Not Seen" by Darlene Rose. This book tells the story of Darlene who was a young newlywed at the beginning of World War II and her experience as a missionary in the jungles of New Guinea and then her four years in a Japanese prison camp. The title of this book is perfect because she truly is honest in her experience of the way that the Lord often appeared silent but His hand was continuously orchestrating protection over her each and every day.     The book is almost simple in its writing and ironically (no pun intended) I often felt that I was sitting across from this woman in a coffee shop listening to her story. The book might have that simple feel but it has a richness and a depth that is almost hard to match today despite reading lots and lots of biographies.   There are so many nuggets of truth and encouragement that I have walked away from after reading this book and I have made it a tradition to read this book once a year in the Spring or Summer. Each time I do I am struck again by this woman's faith in God despite her horrific circumstances.   One of my favorite quotes of hers is near the beginning of the book and she states: "I realized how little I knew of what makes a true missionary statesman; of a faith that never staggers at the promise of God, no matter how incredible to the natural man its fulfillment seems; of a trust in the Unchanging One, Who keeps the heart at rest and unperturbed in a changing world; of a burning love that counts not life dear until itself, but is expendable for God; and of a vision that is never dimmed." WOW. This truly humbled and encouraged me.   At the beginning of the war (far before any of the circumstances occurred in her life that are discussed in the book) Darlene felt that the Lord had given her the verse of Deuteronomy 33:12 which states: “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover (overshadow) him all the day long and he shall dwell between His shoulders”. This verse has particular become near and dear to my heart as I find myself in various unexpected journeys, specifically this past year. I could probably talk about this book for paragraphs and paragraphs but suffice it to say that this is definitely a book I recommend!   I would love to know~ what books to you recommend that are wonderful to read to help me grow in my faith?