Practical Wisdom

Ahh, those are great words. For some reason those two words resonate deeply with most readers of devotional books. What is it about those two words that do the trick? Well, practical means you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars or move to Zimbabwe. It also means you don’t have to merely dream about what life would be like if you could follow the instructions laid out in the book. And wisdom? I think you know what that means. But the two words together mean that you, yes you, have the ability to follow these instructions that will aid you in walking closer to God, and in this book’s case, each other.


Love at Last Sight by Kerry & Chris Shook embodies the phrase “practical wisdom” when it comes to relationships. But there is both good news and bad news about this book. I’ll give you the bad news. Ready? Ok. Neither of them should try stand-up comedy anytime soon. Their attempts at humorous insights are a little…well, cheesy. But it’s not like they were trying to write a comedy book. And that’s the only bad news I have. On to the good.


The book is practical. It’s encouraging knowing that it IS absolutely possible to follow their daily goals to improving your relationships. And the wisdom that it offers IS Christ-centered. No psychological blot-tests or question therapy. The principles of the book come right out of the Great Book.


When I first picked it up I was thinking: “Great, a book about how to love my spouse. I don’t have a spouse.” But I was wrong! Everyone, whether married, dating, or the big bad “s” word has relationships in their lives that could use a little something. Estrangement, hurt, misunderstandings…everyone deals with this. But not everyone actually deals with it. This book helps you learn how! Besides, there is nothing wrong with learning about the inner workings of romantic relationships before you’re in a romantic relationship.


Love at Last Sight really holds onto a truth that I have long believed that love is not a feeling, or a state of mind, but an action verb. The book shows you how to love.


In summation, I can confidently recommend this book to anyone. You can’t read it and not get at least something out of it. The book is full of practical suggestions on how to love. And it also boasts some great illustrations and notable quotes. Thumbs up!



I received a free copy of Love at Last Sight from WaterBrook Multonomah publishing for this review.