We sought to write a great love story, yet God stunned us with something we never expected. Our hope was that people would realize, “We have been searching for the perfect man, yet he was there all along, Jesus.”
God’s surprise was that His intention to suddenly draw two strangers was greater than we dreamt of. We met in an adoration chapel when Brendan was in the Philippines on a personal mission of evangelization. Elly had just been crying and begging God for a writing mentor. Brendan approached her, gave her his calling card and walked out of the chapel but not out of her life.
“Refreshing and inspiring," “life changing,” “part of my healing process,” “deeply moved,” “It made me cry several times and laugh” are some comments from readers of a book we wrote on finding love the way God intends.
Many singles lose hope on finding the person God has destined for them; they fall prey to the lie that if they feel they are in love then they should give themselves body and soul to the other person.
Worth the Chase: Finding Love God’s Way was written by two diverse authors, from different continents, for those needing help in their walk with God while looking for true love.
Our purpose in writing the book was to promote purity and chastity, offering great hope to those who have fallen in this area of their life as they can run to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and be pure spiritually again. We have included scripture, gently massaged theology in and included poetry by both authors.
We felt that we should also feature real life testimonies of people who have struggled in their relationships. This includes someone who gave in sexually to someone merely because he said that he loved her, someone who was a mistress until she realised it was not God’s plan for her life; and a woman who was pressured into having an abortion. Both deeply regretted their decisions and sought to turn their lives to God and embracing their faith.
Often God’s way of healing broken hearts are forgotten in books on love. But we sought to address this need, urging people to run to God, to cling to Him and surrender all to Him, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
While we talked about our failed relationships we failed to see God’s hand at work in what He was planning for us. We became best friends quickly, running daily, reading the scripture readings of the day, sharing, praying together, going to Mass daily and visiting the same adoration chapel we met in. But God’s plan was still unfolding.
Five months after meeting, Brendan’s brother suddenly died back in New Zealand. We drew even closer during this time. Brendan ran to Elly for consolation and then had to return to New Zealand. Though thousands of miles apart their love grew until Brendan asked Elly to be his girlfriend. They married in the same Church they met in on April 21, 2016. God inspired us to invite sexually abused girls as our VIPs.
God surprised these two authors by making their book of love a foundation for their own love story.
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Copyright 2016 Brendan Roberts
About the author: Brendan Roberts is an author of 5 books and a theologian from New Zealand taking up the call of the New Evangelization. His wife Elly is currently media ministry head and editor-in chief of Feast Ortigas and a contributing writer of Kerygma Magazine. Their mission to the world is to promote chastity, purity and following Christ within the Catholic faith.
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