This one took me a while to get through. I'd pick it up and put it down, then pick it back up again in between fiction reads. I enjoyed it, though. There were some good passages that helped me through a tough time. I've been pretty messy myself the last year or two, and it's nice to find affirming words and redemption in that mess. I have been exploring different types of devotionals on all sorts of topics, and even though I'd put it down for a bit, I kept coming back to this one and would recommend it for those looking for a devotional not aimed at people who have their lives completely together.

In Restored: Finding Redemption in Our Mess (Abingdon Press, 2016), Rev. Tom Berlin uses his gift of storytelling to remind us how messy our lives are, but they don’t have to stay that way. The messiness in our lives, Berlin acknowledges, is the result of the condition of sin. “I’ve called the book Restored,” Berlin writes, “because restoration is the goal of the Christian life.” How are we restored? We are restored through the power of grace. Berlin’s book is a primer in United Methodist theology, a theology grounded in grace. Restored outlines the three shades of grace and how they are active in the life of the Christian. Perfect for Lent, Berlin encourages us to declutter the messiness of our lives by accepting the grace that is extended and active in our lives.

Restored has a DVD and small group leader guide available as well.