To some Leanne Payne will be simply a name whilst others will be deeply thankful to God for having met her or read some of her writings. This is her autobiography and with candor she opens up the path the Lord has taken her from brokenness into union with Christ. For almost fifty years she has been continuing a deepening ministry of leading people to knowledge of Christ and His healing grace through her PCM conference and books. She shares her story openly, her struggles, the growth of her understanding of God and His ways, the many people of great experience the Lord brought her into contact with, her soaking in the writings of C.S. Lewis, all these and more worked together to form her life and ministry. Her book is full of insights; a mix of theology, philosophy and psychology but the hallmark of her writings and life is Christ centeredness. The author shares the journey she has made to date, the ascent in the ways of the Lord, the failures and setbacks along with the increased understanding and blessing that has also been the outcome. This record of her pilgrimage conveys several dominant lessons, the first is the faithfulness of God in taking such a vessel, shaping her, giving her boldness and assurance to continue in a path normally reserved for men. A second lesson is the vibrant reality that comes of being centered in the truth of the Incarnation of Christ and His continued incarnating in men and women when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. She affirms throughout the Christ crucified, risen, ascended and indwelling as being the secret of healing. This is a welcome balance to the techniques of therapy so often practiced even in Christian circles. A third lesson from the book is the way she in a balanced way came to understand the need for symbol and liturgy, the word of God in the scriptures as well as the ministry of the Spirit to form a wholesome basis for her ministry. This book is not simply a story but is serious writing that demands respectful attention. She has led many to an appreciation of Christ Jesus and the abundant life that He brings. We can reap much from reading her books, coming as they do from a soul well established in Christ who has also accrued a wealth of help from Him through her adventurous studies throughout her years.
