Review: A Walk One Winter Night

A Walk One Winter Night
By Al Andrews
Worthy Publishing, 2013
















Description

What started as a simple, late night walk to clear his head from the pressures and hassles of the busy holiday season, turned into a moment that changed his life. So, put on your coat and take the walk with him. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll discover it too.

My thoughts

"It was cold that winter evening as I ambled down my quiet street. I needed to walk to clear my mind of all the clutter and stress of this season."

Thus begins A Walk One Winter Night, a simple but profound story of a man longing to recapture the sense of awe and wonder that is Christmas. I don't believe he had truly lost it, but merely allowed all the busyness and trappings of the season to distance its rightful place - and that is something to which many of us can relate.

A Walk One Winter Night is a small book, perfect for gift giving or displaying on a coffee table, but it needs to be read and its message absorbed. It is filled with beautiful illustrations drawn in a simple monochromatic color scheme, which compliment the heart of the message. I can easily see the reading of this story becoming a family tradition.

Al is a talented communicator with a gift for expression through the meaningful words he writes, showing how this man's eyes are opened to who these pristine manger scene characters really are. The man's thoughts as he comes upon a manger scene in a neighbor's yard sum up the story's message and challenge us as well:  "I almost passed them by. They were easy to miss, as I've grown accustomed to their presence."

Thanks to Al Andrews and A Walk One Winter Night, I'll never again look at a manager scene in the same way. May we never grow "accustomed to their presence" in our lives.

Also of interest is that this story is the inspiration behind the Christmas song entitled "Real," written and recorded by Nichole Nordeman.

Al Andrews

Al Andrews is a storyteller. Whether through counseling, speaking, or writing, his passion is to engage in the stories of people, inviting them to hope.

Al is the director of Porter’s Call, a non-profit offering counsel, support, and encouragement to recording artists and their families. He is founder of Improbable Philanthropy, a charity that aids children in crisis through the sale of his children’s book, The Boy, the Kite, and the Wind. To learn more about Al Andrews, visit his website at itsalandrews.com. Follow his daily journey on Twitter @itsalandrews.

This book was provided by Worthy Publishing in exchange for my honest review.