When Lisa Velthouse felt unsatisfied in her faith, she decided to do more of what she had always done: become better by doing more good and enforcing more discipline on herself. This became the start of the Honey Project, a six-month fast from all things sweet; it became something greater. Lisa realized deeper issues looming inside her, and over the next several months discovered the beauty of God's grace.Craving Grace is the true story of a faith dramatically changed: how in one woman’s life God used the sweetness of honey to break through stale religious practices and hollow goodness, revealing the stunning wonder that is God’s grace.
Craving Grace appealed to me, someone who does not often read memoirs, because of the author who wrote it. Years ago I read Saving My First Kiss, and the news about Craving Grace mostly circulated around the fact that she didn't save her first kiss as she had promised to. I wanted to know why; not because I was upset about it, but because I wanted to know what changed the girl who had passionately written about saving her first kiss. What had happened in her life to cause a need to discover grace once again?
Lisa Velthouse delves into the details of her life pre kiss book and post kiss book, discussing and dissecting her emotions and feelings and, most importantly, her perception of God. It's an interesting account filled with moments of hilarity, passion, sadness, and confusion. It's real life, and time after time I stopped mid-chapter to sigh and consider how similarly I've felt in my own walk with Christ.
For Lisa,
Fasting brought out a brand-new mirror, I found. It was embarrassing to face my reflection in it, complete with sins I was incapable of ridding myself of. . . . This, for someone who lived life thinking she was very good, was a major blow. . . . Without sweets, my flaws and my spiritual flab and all my inadequacies were bared, and I couldn't find a fig leaf anywhere that would be big enough to cover who I was. (Velthouse 142)
My only hope for a future apart from my sin is to accept the one gift I can never deserve: Christ's sacrifice. (Velthouse 186).It is only through much heartache and turmoil that Lisa discovers what grace is really about, and what the God who gives it freely is really like. It's a touching, inspiring story, and even if you're not big into memoirs, I'd give this one a shot anyway.
