Review: Restored
I picked this book up last year because I needed to hear from someone else who'd made it back from church hurt. It's taken me close to a year to finish, which in fairness, is more of a me problem than the book's.
"I Am Restored" by @lecrae is an open confession about his journey back (although arguably, not back, just closer) to Christ while unlearning his devotion to devotion and accepting his humanity. It's relatable and something we'll eventually all wrestle with at one of life's junctions.
“I wasn’t devoted to God. I was devoted to my devotion to God.”
Some parts read like a candid moment between friends. Then there are more speckled with hesitation as if Lecrae is unsure if he has the permission to say what he's saying. Like he's still processing while delivering the lesson. Those moments made this a challenging read, which (again), to be fair, could be more of a me problem and less of the book's.
Either way, there's a stride found in the last few chapters of "I Am Restored" as the book becomes less about the ills of religion and more about how God teaches us how to supersede all of that to love Him, ourselves, and our neighbors well.
I don't know if I recommend this book. I know some parts will sit with me for months to come, which maybe is the recommendation.
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️