Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World by Sally Read
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Parenting has always been difficult. Yet in the last few years, as a Christian, attempting to guide my children toward holiness has become increasingly more difficult. My children are inundated daily with lies about who they are and their place in this world.
Even as I turned to the church for guidance, they seemed to encourage these lies. It is as if they did not want to hurt the world’s feelings by telling the truth. As a result, formation of the faithful, especially teens and young adults, has been neglected.
It was in the midst of this frustration that I found Sally Read’s Annunciation: A Call to Faith in a Broken World. Read wrote this short book to her daughter, Flo as she came of age.
Using the Annunciation, God’s invitation to Mary as a touchstone, Read tenderly illustrates God’s love for us, how He meets us in our anxiety and suffering, reminds us of our identity in Christ, how to discover our vocation and how to connect with God. Using stories from her work as a psychiatric nurse and also familial stories, the voice of this book is intimate. Yes, it is written to her daughter but you feel as if it is written for you specifically.
At first glance, it might seem sex specific but as I read it aloud to my teen son, he commented that Sally Read was “throwing truth bombs, left and right.” If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what is.
This book was just the encouragement and guidance I needed, not just for my children but for me. Read gives solid but calm language to my own fears and anxieties and always points back to Jesus and His love as the answer to everything.