I felt so many emotions while reading Counting Miracles, anger, pity, solemnity, excitement…
Every page, every word was penned with the intentionality and profoundness of not merely an author with the gift of storytelling, but a vessel channeling the Divine Message of the Almighty, the message of love.
Counting Miracles tells of the lives of Tanner, Kaitlyn, and Jasper, three vastly different individuals, who have their lives brought together in the most remarkable circumstance.
Tanner is a war veteran who is used to living on the go. His grandmother’s death launches his life down a path different from the ones previously taken. In his search for answers to the question of his paternity, he must also do some soul-searching to understand what he truly wants from life.
For Kaitlyn, a successful doctor in a small U.S town, the challenges of single parenthood will be the least of her tests, as she finds herself woven into the fabric of fate, towards another chance at love.
Conversely, Tanner will rediscover his faith in God, coming through the many trials and tribulations in his life, victorious, counting his many miracles along the way.
Christian romances such as the popular Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers have generally rubbed off on me the wrong way. While I understand the nature of Divine Love, I feel that its presence in fiction could be more realistic, more relatable.
Counting Miracles isn’t exactly a Christian romance, as only one of the three main characters has any religious history. But, the story is a powerful one, allegorically drawing on the story of Job in the Bible to furnish the makings of a wonderful character who’s lived an almost unbelievable life.
In this story, everything is symbolic. Every decision and act of the characters represents a small part in the grand workings of destiny, fate, and how faith, hope, and love can restore wholesomeness to the broken.
Tanner’s POV takes on a great deal of spiritual significance, with his encounters testimony to the unfathomable machinations of the Creator, and the silent pressures of His Will in everything, whether humans accept it, believe it, or not.
While Kaitlyn and Tanner’s love story actually pales in significance compared to the major themes in the book, the contributions of secondary characters like Casey, Mitch, and even the Littletons add a lot of depth to a rather short story, making readers feel full and thoroughly overwhelmed at the end.
I’ve been on a bit of a roll with Nicholas Sparks books of late, as I’m taking a small break from the darker themes of my preferred fantasy.
Counting Miracles leaves readers feeling grateful and is a ray of hope for the brokenhearted, and a reassurance to the faithful that God exists.
