Annalisa has a classmate who treats her hatefully. Her parents’ death plunges her into a grief journey that eventually intertwines with her ‘hater.’ Annalisa’s grief tests her faith that God is good. With the help of her aunt, youth group, and grief support group, her faith deepens. Realizing her hater is hurting, she befriends Brenda, who then goes with her to youth group. Annalisa quits being angry with her parents for going to Ecuador. Annalisa’s beloved aunt becomes romantically interested in a man from church. This becomes a happy time that helps both Annalisa and her aunt return to joy.
Rescued by God’s Mercy is a heart-filled narrative, explaining how each of us can move into a more intimate relationship with God. It uses the Old Testament book of Isaiah to explain how God longs to restore us to fellowship with himself and give us spiritual and emotional health. Author Judith Vander Wege describes how God showed her mercy when all she felt was a life robbed and plundered. Now she lives with joy and wants every reader to experience the merciful love of God, no matter what they have done.
“What now my Lord ? What shall I do ? A yielded heart shows that I love you.”
After she’d been rescued by God’s mercy from a bad situation, Judith Vander Wege found that it helped her cope better with the emotional storms of life if she wrote a prayer poem or worship song, many of which are in this book. These also helped restore her to an intimate relationship with God. Many have been published in Christian periodicals such as Evangel, Live, Power For Living, Vision, War Cry and others. As a freelance writer she has sold more than 300 manuscripts. She has also written songs that have been used in her church and in her music ministry for Seniors.
Listen to to Judith’s interview about this book
This story about Lynn shows that a young teenager can rise above ridicule and criticism, becoming a happy and successful student. He can also succeed in difficult relationships at home when he remains respectful to his parents. Lynn has a special dream or wish. As he tries to fit into God’s plan, Lynn is “forever hopeful” that his situation will improve, and it does.
Paul E. Vander Wege was born and raised in Holland, Michigan. After high school, he graduated from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, and began a successful thirty-five-year teaching career as a middle school language arts teacher. He also earned a master’s degree from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. After retiring from teaching, he became interested in writing and enrolled in several writing courses. He is the father of three children and stepfather to seven.
This compilation includes stories and articles published through the years from 1980 to 2023 in various Christian periodicals across America. Judith’s heart’s desire has been to be an instrument God can use to convey his love to people…especially to those who are hurting. In spite of her own heartaches and trials, Judith has truly been blessed through the years by her loving and merciful God.
The Prophet Isaiah expresses the heart of God about rebellion in these words:
“I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. Even the animals—the donkey and the ox—know their owner and appreciate his care for them, but not my people… They have cut themselves off from my help,” (Isaiah 1:2-4)
The purpose of this little ebook is to give an understanding about how God feels when his children rebel, and also to show how he disciplines us in love for our good.