Into the Fire

A Beautiful Mess by Brenda S. Anderson presents one of the most unique heroines in the Women's Fiction genre of today.

Erin Belden is a divorced single mother of a pubescent 13 year old girl (Michaela, aka "Mik") whose ex-husband (Corey) takes up a whole lot of what little emotional reserves she carries. Erin is bitter and resentful and those seem to be the only real feelings she can fully identify and understand. 

On a weekend set up with Erin's best friend Debbie (and professional counselor) for a cabin retreat when it's her ex's weekend with Mik, Erin manages some civility when he picks up their daughter but is confused and repelled by his desire to set up a time when they can talk. 

That weekend never transpires as tragedy strikes a terrible and unexpected blow. 

The unwanted conclusion to the tragedy is Erin is now the legal guardian of Corey's and his wife's three year old daughter Clara (aka "Lolli" for a nickname "Lollipop") who Erin volunteered to babysit occasionally so that Mik could get to know her little (half) sister more. For Erin, this will never work.

As lovers of Women's Fiction know, there are multiple dramas, internal and external, going on with various characters in the stories. A Beautiful Mess is no exception. The most striking character is Erin who never knew her father and whose mother suffered with mental illness – something Erin constantly fears in herself. Suffering occasional panic attacks, unable to process others' emotional responses and body language, having built a wall akin to concrete around her emotions to the point where she rarely reacts appropriately with the usual emotional responses to people or circumstances, resisting touch and hugs, she manages to break her own rules for her beloved Mik in spite of the attitude the young teen displays.

Erin is an enigma because she has the feelings of anger, resentment, bitterness, and the unforgiveness they produce toward her ex-husband down to a practiced science but has a hard time with any feelings that require her to accept physical contact without flinching or to react with smiles and encouragement to or from other adults. At times her behavior mimics that of a sociopath, but her underlying concerns and kindness as she tries to figure out "how" to feel in different situations instead suggest she's experienced real emotional trauma and in that experience she's shut down what others know instinctively.  

A Beautiful Mess is a story of broken people and circumstances, of Christians who lose their way, of sacrificed friendships that need mending, and of pain redeemed by the Lord's constant interference and immense patience in rounding up his prodigal people, allowing them to truly feel His kind of real love. 

(Just a side note: this cover is exquisite and speaks to the entirety of the story.)

Father, please keep those stories coming for Brenda, give her the time she needs to write them, and help her in every area of this challenging life. Encourage her as only you can do, and please meet her every need. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.