AUTHOR: David Kyle Foster
PUBLISHER: Minneapolis, MN: Chosen Books, 2014, (320 pages).
His father was a preacher. His grandfather too. Yet, in trying to do all the good that they can in the faith that they believe in, sometimes, the successes within the parish cannot be easily replicated inside the family home. Love is needed everywhere, especially for the young. Author David Kyle Foster was a preacher's kid, brought up in a strict religious environment where discipline was strictly adhered to. His friends were scrutinized and even his first passion for a girl had to be put aside due to parental disapproval. Foster was hungry for love in all places, regardless of whether they are right or wrong. He sought out love of affirmation from the home but found it lacking. He sought out love among friends but found it wanting. He tried distractions and diversions like music, movies, drugs, sex, and even suicidal thoughts. As Foster went to higher education, his encounters with drugs and sex became more intense, especially his homosexual feelings. His search for love then took on a Hollywood dimension where he realized to his dismay that life there is a lot more artificial and self-deceiving. With his personal life still in a mess, his career having moderate success, his search for love from the world soon led him to a dark alley of shame and guilt. He found it hard to make real friends. Soon, he was falling headlong into a spiritual abyss of discouragement, distress, and depression. Spiritual deceptions were plenty. He tried various forms of meditation which promote love and acceptance but left him feeling somewhat empty and conflicted. It was at that point where he felt a supernatural pull toward his Protestant background. Someone or people must have been praying for him. He made a spiritual U-turn. Bible verses came alive. His trip to Israel sparked many illuminating insights about Christianity and Jewish culture. The old in him was dying, and a new was sprouting forth. Foster's journey for fulfillment and meaning was converging on the person of Christ.
So What?
The author has been very forthcoming and brutally frank about his past, his dabbling into things the world had to offer, and the open disappointments he has had with his religious upbringing. At the start, it is quite an eye opener to see how a preacher's kid can turn out to be a complete opposite of what his parents had hoped for. It shows the struggle for Christian families wanting to practise what they preach. Sometimes, such families do apply the rule too hard and even harsh. We cannot blame them, but we can surely learn to listen more, pray more, and love more. Each family will need to do their best and let God do the rest. At the end of it all, Foster's story shows us that the best of intentions by any parent does not necessarily dictate how the child will become. It is all grace. Grace of how Foster is able to come back from the doldrums of life and to see real faith taking shape inside him. What is encouraging for readers is the power of the Word and biblical upbringing despite the rebellion and teen struggles Foster has shared. The manner of discipline may be disputed. The methods may be suspect. However, the Word of the Lord stands firm and steadfast, able to change lives in spite of their struggles.
I believe Foster's story is not unique, although it is rather dramatic. Not many of us would go to Hollywood the way he had done. I admire the courage of Foster to share such personal and intimate details of his sexual struggles. The first part of the book is a dark one. The second part of the book reveals the increasing light of hope. Today, Foster is a seminary graduate, a founder of a ministry to assist those who are trapped in sexual sins and brokenness. He is a new man found in the love of Jesus. The book is Foster's way of sharing how his search for love ended in an encounter with the Person of Christ. His present ministry thrives as he passionately encourages people to move from hurting to healing. The book will be a big help for those who struggle like what Foster had done. Maybe, you can check out his testimony on Mastering Life ministry and the television outreach program Pure Passion. Readers should not be rushed to adopt Foster's formula and apply it into their own lives. That is not the way to read books like this. What readers can do is to appreciate the honesty and the desire by Foster to walk with people who had similar struggles. More importantly, readers can be comforted that God is love, and God will be found as we keep on searching for Him. When we eventually find Him, we will realize that God is the One who had been seeking us.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book is provided to me courtesy of Chosen Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
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