Book Review: Stories from the River of Mercy

I should admit at the outset, I'm not familiar with Sheila Walsh's music. She strikes me as a vocalist who is vulnerable and real with her audiences. In 2018, I read her book, In the Middle of the Mess. Since I struggle with depression, it's refreshing to find a Christian who openly shares her wounds and battles. In Stories from the River of Mercy, we find an authentic telling of the conflict and resolution between Sheila and her mother-in-law.

From the outset, the two women saw things differently. Sheila's husband, Barry, was Eleanor's only child. As such, she had a hard time with the "leave-and-cleave" process. Not to mention, Eleanor had very firm opinions on how things should be done. I would have bristled, too, if my mother-in-law came in and reorganized my kitchen.

But, the heart of the story is the current of mercy that carries these two different women into reconciliation and deeper relationship because of Eleanor's battle with cancer. I don't believe I have the level of surrender or the heart for others that Sheila develops during this journey. If only I could access that simply by reading. Still, absorbing the story made my heart long to be a better person, to love through another person's prickliness, and to show grace when I want to demand my own perspective. This was a book I was ready to purge from my shelves. I'm glad I took the time to read this slim volume before sending it along to someone else.