Book Review | Lady in Waiting

Lady in Waiting
Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right
Jackie Kendall & Debby Jones

Publisher: Destiny Image Publishers
Genre: Christian, Non-Fiction, Women's Devotional
Released: 2005

[rear cover]
You hold in your hands a fresh and exciting way to enhance your personal life and enrich your spiritual journey. This expanded edition of Lady in Waiting includes:

Original text of the best-selling book--complete and unabridged!
Complete Study Guide--Learn how to apply the principles taught in Lady in Waiting. These questions, quotes, thoughts, and teachings will help you to become the woman of God that He designed you to be. You can also record your spiritual growth in a specially designed journal section. Don't miss this opportunity to become God's lady in waiting!
Forty-Day Meditational Journal--This section offers profound motivational truths from some of the greatest women of God in the history of the Church, with meditative readings to help you live in the presence of the Lord every day.

Quiet meditation, contemplative prayer, and careful study will help you receive the full benefit from spiritual truth. . . When you give yourself to the Lord through the pages of this book, the spiritual truths you gain will bring you to new places in your experience with God and prepare you for deeper levels of loving relationships!

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Sorry, guys. I just realized it's been far too long since I've reviewed any kind of book. So, when I started this one, I knew I had to share it. As seen above, this particular copy contains the book, a study guide, and meditational journal. Love it all!

Lady in Waiting is a beautiful book of learning to truly follow and trust Christ in these years as a single.

"No one, not even the man you will marry one day, can make you happy--only Jesus can."

(page 14)

I don't know about you, but that has been a hard truth for me. I struggle with learning to be content and patient, to wait out what God has in store for me.

One of my favorite songs (and if you know me, I have many favorites), is "The Longer the Waiting, the Sweeter the Kiss." To me, this concept applies to various situations. For example, I LOVE Starbucks' Chai Tea Lattes. And on the rare occasions that I purchase one (or someone buys it for me) is a super-real treat. So in a sense, the longer the waiting, the sweeter the taste. Well, this is good to follow in life. God has given us the waiting years for a reason. Maybe your future spouse has yet to become a Christian, or maybe you have much to learn and grow in your own relationship with Christ. Whatever it may be, and no matter how difficult, God asks us to patiently wait in faith.

Using the excellent example of Ruth's story in the Bible, the authors Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones construct a book of guidelines for the single lady to eventually become a Lady of. . .

Reckless Abandonment
Diligence
Faith
Virtue
Devotion
Purity
Security
Contentment
Conviction
Patience

Out of all of these, my favorite chapter had to be the one about being a Lady of Devotion.

"Much too often, people view a single woman as though she should be pitied rather than envied. Nothing could be further from the truth. A Lady in Waiting has the advantage of being able to develop her love relationship with Christ without the distractions that a husband or family inherently bring to one's heart." (p. 65)

That doesn't mean the husband and children are a curse. No! Far from it. They are simply a different kind of blessing. The single lady can devote her time fully to God alone, while the family of the married woman is her ministry to God. Make sense?

"As a single, you have a wonderful opportunity to use your time to maximize your fellowship with God. When you love someone, you give them your heart, the center of your being. God asks for no less." (p. 67)

There are so many great quotes from this I could share with you, but then I might as well re-publish the whole book in a post! So, before I leave you, here is one last statement I wish to conclude with:

"[G]iving Christ your heart means you are not free to give it away to other things or people that come into your life (in idolatry). You can't give a part to relationships that delight you in this world and still seek God with a whole heart. You cannot keep a part of your heart for something that may seem better if it comes along. Devotion to the Lord Jesus is giving everything or nothing at all. . ." (p. 69)

In conclusion, I LOVED this book. It is a definite must read for all of you single (or married) ladies. I've told my sisters a couple times already, "You must read this one!" (And they are.)

While purity plays a huge part in these pages and in life as a daughter of the King, there is absolute hope for the princess who has already lost it. All it takes is a little bit of trust. . . and, of course, faith is a must. :]

I'd also like to encourage you to re-read the book of Ruth. Pay close attention to her patience and willingness to follow God whole-heartedly, even when that meant losing the only life she knew. Her love story only added to the lineage of Christ.

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Recommended ages: 16+