We hear time and time again that God has a plan, a design, for our lives. But when we find ourselves living a life we did not design, discouragement can often overcome us.

In her book, A Redesigned Life, Tracy Steel brings the assurance that God is the Designer of our lives, and always remains true to His plans for us.

As a former interior designer, she uses design principles which not only benefit our outer living spaces but more so, help us balance the inner spaces of our souls.

“Our lives are textiles in our divine Designer’s hand.”

Using six principles of design – movement, emphasis, pattern, contrast, balance, and space, she uncovers the purposes of God as He works in our lives:

• Movement. “God’s movement in our lives is not random. He prepares and matures us, readying us to receive what he’s already planned” (page 29)
• Emphasis. As we cut down on commitments, we discover where God would have us place our emphasis. “When God says no, that means we will have the opportunity to say yes to something that he has decided is better for us, because in his providence he knows and has already designed what is to come” (page 55).
• Pattern. “God uses patterns of different types in our lives as well … God uses repetition in our lives to reengage our mind and our spirit because we sometimes become forgetful and complacent in our faith” (page 79).
• Contrast. “We are not to fit in with the rest of the world, nor are we supposed to be “normal,” whatever that means. There is nothing boring or predictable about us, our God, or our redesigned life. We were created to be couture, or one of God’s kind” (page 114).
• Balance. We need to assess the relationships in our lives. “Only love can bring balance to our lives. And love looks a whole lot like celebrating the accomplishments of others, extending grace, and resting in the beauty and significance of our own emphasis” (page 164).
• Space. “Our grief and loss enable us to love like Jesus and to be acquainted with him in his sufferings” (page 181). Loss of any kind leaves an empty space in our hearts that God will use and fill if we but allow Him access to our heart space.

Each section includes “Muse Minutes”, a space to ponder, pray, and journal.The book speaks wonderfully and deeply to our lives which go in ways we did not plan.

A life we did not design,
but God redesigned uniquely for us and for His glory.

** I was provided a copy of this book by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. This post contains affiliate links.  If you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small percent at no additional cost to you.

Today I am joining … Woman to Woman and Recharge Wednesday and Let’s Have Coffee and Booknificent Thursday .