Review: You Are Free

You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are by Rebekah Lyons

I’ve always loved the calm, refreshing contrast of cobalt blue on white. The cover’s pretty design drew me in like the pattern of my Blue Willow dishes.  Inside this book I found a treasure of truth.

This book is unique because it reads like a memoir, one of my favorite genres.  In each chapter, Rebekah unfolds her life story bit by bit.  As an adolescent, she desperately tried to fit in.  She was a striving people-pleaser, floating between social groups for attention.  Rebekah struggled with a family history of mental illness and her own panic disorder. As a new mom, she faced the unexpected challenge of a special needs child.

I’m glad she shares her struggles so honestly.  Anyone who has panic attacks will find her story especially encouraging.  Even though I don’t struggle with that issue, I found hope in her writing.  I related to her stories of people-pleasing and constant striving, and I was encouraged by her personal journey of healing through God’s unconditional love.

Set Free By God

Rebekah speaks of many ways to be set free from bondage by drawing closer to God.  One special distinction about her story is the descriptions of her intimate conversations with God and her close reliance on the Holy Spirit.  She recounted several times when God spoke to her in dreams, and I found her revelations poignant, thought-provoking, and similar to my own spiritual journey.  Her voice is fresh, warm, and inviting.

This was one of my favorite quotes from the book:

Freedom is for everyone who wants it–the lost, the wounded, and those weary from all the striving.  It’s for those who gave up trying years ago…it’s for professional Christians hiding secrets…it’s for the angry and the hurt, for those both brilliant and burnt by the Christian song and dance.

I received a free copy of You Are Free from the BookLook Bloggers Program in exchange for my honest review.

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