Playing God by Michelle Hammond
By Jeanette Wallington • Oct 14th, 2008 • Category: Book Review •
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What do you do when it appears that God has turned his face from you and stopped listening to your prayers? The Bible says to wait. Job waited, and he was healed. In the Psalms, David tells us to wait on the Lord. Various scriptures in the Bible instructs one to keep praying and wait on the Lord for He will answer your prayers. However, when you pray, you must pray for the right reason lest your prayers will not be heard. We get in trouble when we decide to help God and hurry him along. The Ladies in Michelle McKinney Hammond’s newest novel, Playing God, find out that God really does not need our help, He has it all under control.
Tamara is a successful psychologist, counseling woman using a Christian approach.While listening to the women who come to her for services, she is pondering her own situation. She wants a man and while she is living the life that she knows is not quite right, but still pleasing to God, she is getting tired of waiting on Him. When she meets Kenny at a local restaurant, she knows he is the man for her. She knows in her heart things are not quite right and her friends and family also let her know that she is making a mistake. Tamara does not want to heed their warnings and uses scriptures; “He who findeth a wife, findeth a good thing,” or ” God did not intend for man to be alone” to justify this relationship. While she is developing her relationship with Kenny, her clients and friends’ lives are falling apart.
Corrine, the wife of a pastor of a mega church in Chicago is unhappy at home. She has had all the plastic surgery possible to make herself desirable to her husband, and he still does not show any affection towards her or their daughter. Corrine is so caught up in her own misery, that she does not see that her daughter, Jada is in trouble and is crying out for help. Lydia, the newly divorced woman has taken up with a younger man, in order to make her ex-husband jealous,
McKinney Hammond is a renowned relationship expert for the single Christian woman and has many non- fiction titles on the subject. She teaches things that women may not want to hear. It is hard waiting for that special someone and while waiting what do you do? It even harder when you see other women, who you think are not worthy, being blessed while you still sit at home, lonely, wondering when will it be your turn to experience love and marriage. In Playing God, McKinney Hammond offers biblical answers and solutions. I like that when reading this novel, I did not feel preached at or condemned. She makes references to and explains scripture in her characters’ conversations and actions, but does not necessarily quote them. I think there is a message for all women, single and married, in this book. If you read closely, you will probably find yourself in one of the characters or at least see a question that you may have asked God.
Jeanette
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Jeanette Wallington is a Michigan native and resides in the greater Detroit area. She has been a member of APOOO since its conception. She is also the co-founder of the Motown Review Book club and a member of the APOOO Exchange Team. You can find her reviews on Amazon.com. She loves to read. Reading allows her to escape from the pressures of life, live vicariously through characters and learn about new and exciting places, cultures and experiences. She cannot name her favorite author or books because her list changes constantly--she enjoys a variety of genres and writers. If you were to view her home bookshelves, you will find that her books are diverse and eclectic.
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