Captivating

I few days ago, I finished reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. I tried to stretch it out over a long period of time, but every time I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The book spoke to my heart in so many ways, helping me see my unique beauty as a woman and the irreplaceable role I play in God’s plan.

Last Thursday night, I tried to explain the book’s premise to someone and failed pretty miserably. The book is straightforward, yet it’s also quite complex. It delves into a wide variety of issues dealing with the feminine heart, so it’s hard to pin down an overriding theme. The best way to sum up this book is that it explains God’s passion for the female heart and what can happen when she lets Him restore her.

Like in Wild at Heart where John narrows down a man’s desire for three things, the Eldredge’s assert that “every woman in her heart of hearts longs for three things: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty” (8). The book goes on to explain how each of these desires can be attained in our relationships with God, other people and one’s self.

Captivating plays on themes from Eldredge’s other books but delves much deeper into what those themes specifically mean for women. It would be fairly accurate to say this is the Wild at Heart for women because it follows the same structure and flows from the same source, yet the book stands very much on its own. It touched places in my heart I didn’t expect and opened my eyes to the freedom of being a “woman at rest” in my femininity (have you ever realized how difficult it is to pronounce “femininity?). I’m so excited to tap into all God has created me for.

I recommend this book to any woman. I’d also recommend it to men, but I’d suggest reading Wild at Heart first. God created man and woman for great things. We can mirror the image of God to each other when we allow Him to restore our hearts in gender-specific ways. These books offer incredible insight to unlock our hearts’ potential. That gets me excited.