Tag: Christian faith

The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

The First Phone Call from Heaven

Mitch Albom (Adult Inspirational)

It was a rather ordinary day in the small, quiet town of Coldwater, Michigan. A day when a phone call would forever change the town—and soon the world—forever. The last time a phone call had such an impact was on March 10, 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first phone call to his assistant, Thomas Watson, and infamously uttered, “Mr. Watson—come here—I want to see you.” The phone call received by Tess Rafferty was just as improbable and consequential because this call came from Heaven. As more people came forward to share their own calls, one man remained skeptical and determined to prove this wonderful miracle was nothing more than a cruel and heartless hoax.

I fell in love with Mitch Albom after reading Tuesdays with Morrie and he has again presented me with another beautiful bouquet in the form of The First Phone Call from Heaven. He gives us several characters to follow as each receives a phone call from the afterlife, but he keeps us focused on three central individuals: Sully Harding, widowed father and newly released from prison who refuses to buy in to the religious narrative; Katherine Yellin, real estate broker who receives the second call but is the first to announce it publicly; and Police Chief Jack Sellers, divorced and father to a son lost in combat who must maintain law and order while trying to grapple with his own truth. Woven through all of these stories are historical facts and tidbits about Alexander Graham Bell, which I really enjoyed learning: stories about his mother and wife who were both hearing impaired, his close brush with obscurity, and the actual creator behind the standard telephone greeting “Hello” (hint: it wasn’t Bell who suggested “Ahoy!”). All of these references could have seemed forced and out of place, but Albom connects the past to the present as effortlessly as we are able to connect with one another today.

Albom’s faith is clearly the heart of this book as heavenly callers reassure their living recipients that they are well, happy, and that Heaven is indeed real. Sadly and realistically, we witness a beautiful event spiraling out of control as protestors seek a platform and news outlets realize the potential profit that faith and hope hold. It was Winston Churchill, working to form the United Nations after World War II, who said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” I’m sure it was a media mogul who might have been tempted to tack on “…or a miracle either.”

This is a wonderful story of faith challenged, hope questioned, and lives altered as the impossible becomes possible and the unknown is made clear. And whether you’re a believer, non-believer, or agnostic, one thing we can agree on—that remains as true today as it did in 1876—is that a single voice spoken through wires has the ability to change life forever.

Rating: 5/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.abebooks.com

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George Müller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans by Janet & Geoff Benge

George Müller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans

Janet & Geoff Benge (Adult Christian)

Later that day, as George sat in the stagecoach rumbling back towards Halle, he felt strangely relieved. The sense of looming confrontation he’d felt on the journey home had been replaced with a sense of expectation. He had been given no choice but to cut ties with his earthly father. Now all he had was his heavenly Father to provide for him. As the villages and fields slipped by, George wondered how it would all work out.

George Müller was caught stealing at the age of ten. By twelve, he was sneaking away from boarding school at night and attending parties filled with beer and card games. His father wanted him to be a Lutheran pastor and earn a steady income, but drinking and gambling proved to be the stronger lure for the young man from Kroppenstaedt, Prussia. But one November afternoon in 1825 changed George Müller’s course forever. On that day, he attended his first Bible meeting and his world—along with his world view—would never be the same.

Janet and Geoff Benge give readers a remarkable story of faith, hope, and complete surrender. George Müller was miraculously transformed from an arrogant and self-indulgent college student to a man who relied solely on the grace and generosity of God to provide for him, his family, and the thousands of orphans he clothed, fed, housed, and educated. George died at the ripe old age of 92 and during his expansive lifetime, he had traveled over 200,000 miles, visited 42 countries, and met with British royalty, countless dignitaries, an American president, and the author Charles Dickens. Despite being the steward of over £1 million, he meticulously kept track of every pound and shilling and ensured that every donation was used solely for its intended purpose. He was as dutiful in his bookkeeping as he was in his prayers and George, despite countless obstacles, hardships, and impossible odds, remained steadfast in his faith and trust in God.

There was one moment in George’s life where he was staring at an empty table and looking into the eyes of dozens of hungry orphans who were anxiously awaiting their breakfast. George—never one to despair or doubt—simply told those around him to wait for the miracle to happen for even though the pantry was bare and the milk jugs empty, he knew that a higher power was in charge and that He would be faithful in fulfilling His promises.

George Müller left this world far richer and wiser than he was when he lived with his wealthy father or attended his prestigious schools. Through his daily actions, he became the father to 10,000 orphans and epitomized the words in Luke 1:37 that says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Rating: 4/5

* Book cover image attributed to: www.amazon.com