Write2Ignite

I first heard about The Reason by Lacey Sturm when I read and reviewed God Breathed by Rut Etheridge III last summer. In God Breathed, Etheridge references The Reason and includes many quotations that greatly intrigued me. The more quotations that I read, the more that I wanted to read this book.

“Behind everything lies a cause, a reason” (26).

Review

In The Reason, Sturm relates her childhood, her journey to salvation, and her growing faith. Her story is truly inspiring. Sturm describes how the tragic loss of her three-year-old cousin when she was young affected her. She became cynical and depressed and, as a teenager, planned to commit suicide. On the day of her intended death, her grandmother took her to a church service, where God spoke to her, and a man led her to salvation. After that service, her life was truly transformed, and her relationship with God became apparent. She gained a new perspective on God’s creation, ended a relationship that no longer agreed with her beliefs, and began to share her story with others.

“I am alive, and Christ is The Reason” (189).

After her conversion, Sturm continued to struggle with health issues, the loss of a close friend, and similar challenges. She chose to follow God’s will through her life and minister to others. Sturm decided to share her story to help other teenagers who are struggling as she did and to teach them about salvation. Her first ministry was through her music and her band. After stepping down from the band in 2012, she now continues her ministry through books like The Reason and speaking at conferences.

Sturm’s narrative style instantly drew me into her story. She begins almost every chapter and section with a brief story about herself and then uses that experience as a metaphor to show God’s hand in her life. The chapters are short, and overall, the book is a quick read yet thought-provoking. The beginning gripped me, and I couldn’t put it down. The Reason could also be read as a devotional because each chapter covers its own topic and is self-contained. I found the ending satisfactory, as it sums up Sturm’s purpose in writing the book: to use her story to help others who are struggling and to share the Good News of salvation with them.

The Reason addresses many contemporary issues such as depression and peer pressure as well as suicide; Sturm’s story is especially relevant in light of the current prevalence of suicides in teens and young adults. While it is an inspiring story, The Reason is not an easy read. Sturm is brutally honest and open, addressing disturbing topics such as under-age drinking and various relationships she observed and engaged in. That said, I caution readers that The Reason may contain some unsettling content.

I highly recommend The Reason to young adults ages thirteen and up, as I believe this age group is Sturm’s target audience, and it would make a good gift for a high schooler or college student. Still, I think that adults can appreciate Sturm’s story too and find it inspiring. The Reason appears to be geared more towards unbelievers or believers that are struggling with being in a secular world but is recommended to Christians as well.

KATHRYN DOVER,

Young Adult Blogger

Kathryn Dover lives in South Carolina with her family including six cats, a dog, three fish, and many house plants. She attends Presbyterian College, majoring in math with minors in history and creative writing. Kathryn loves writing, especially plays, and she completed and performed her first play, The Sexton, at 14. She is currently serving as a Russell Program Intern in PC’s Marketing and Communications office and writing for the school newspaper, The BlueStocking. She’s not sure what she wants to do as a career, only that she wants to write, but is trusting that God has a plan for her life to use her in a powerful way. College takes up most of her time, but in her free time she likes to read, play with her pets, and grow plants.