Lamp To My Feet by Fran Smith - A True Story About Loving Someone Even Though Things Are Difficult Sometimes

Fran Smith found herself caring for a husband who was suddenly addicted to prescription drugs and no longer himself. Here’s why she stayed and how she got through it.

One of the most heartbreaking things in life is to watch a loved one decline, physically, mentally, or both.

If that person becomes angry and abusive, for whatever reason, the situation can turn from difficult to desperate.

What do you do? Fran Smith, author of the memoir Lamp to My Feet, lived through this situation with her husband Mark. Mark was a hiker, fun-loving and sweet, until a back condition deteriorated into excruciating, life-altering pain.

From there, Fran’s marriage and Mark’s disposition turned from bad to worse. And yet, she found herself unable to leave her partner in his most difficult hour.

Book Description:

Lord, I Don’t Know What To Do Next

God never promises us a sweeping floodlight that will show us the whole picture, but He does promise us a lamp to our feet so we can see the next step. We have to learn to trust Him to do that, and take the next step in faith.

After successful ministries in Alaska and Tennessee, Mark Smith has gone from the top of the mountain to the depths of the valley. He’s made some decisions that were not in God’s will, and now he’s seeing the consequences. It’s a dark trail as he finds his way back.

Fran Chapman is beginning a journey of her own, one that will ultimately connect with Mark’s. Her life has been full of love from her mother, but also marked indelibly by the pain of having a terminally ill father. She is navigating her way through pain and uncertainty.

Their journeys take them through decades of highs and lows until they find each other and begin to discover God’s purpose for them.

In God’s majestic tapestry, no thread is ever wasted. He uses them all, every color and every texture. He uses our past and future successes and failures to accomplish His will, and we won’t know the whole picture until we get to heaven.

Lamp to My Feet is about having the courage and faith to obey God, even when you don’t know what’s next. It’s about God’s patience and grace in our lives, even when we don’t realize or understand. It’s about stepping out, believing you can do things in His power when you know you can’t do them in your own.

The 411:

This week I finished Lamp To My Feet a memoir by Frances Smith about her marriage to a man that often times made it difficult to love but her trust in God and her path as well as her ability to truly love kept her from leaving him.

I received this book as a review and I thought wait Book 3? How will I be able to read this? I didn't read the first 2 books in the Ordinary Man Trilogy but honestly it stood alone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything and still have no idea if those 2 books were even connected.  From the first chapter I was invested in the meeting of Mark and Fran so many years prior to them getting together and loved reading about their past and what lead them to them meeting again.

Fran paints a picture that is easy to connect with. As a wife and mother I could easily put myself into the shoes of Fran. Loving someone is often a beautiful thing but like every relationship there are ebbs and flows and sometimes you find it hard to even like them, let alone love them but Fran let Jesus take the wheel and counted her blessings knowing she fate was in the hands of God and she trusted.

Sometimes when I wrote a review I do not like putting the description especially when it is like the one above which makes the book seem like it is all about God, bible verses and too religious for you. I am a spiritual follower of God but not religious. I never felt it was preachy or too bible thumping. It was a love story and a woman telling her story about loving a man who was dealing with something that changed him. Mark was obviously in constant pain and his body just couldn't anymore.

As much as the Mark's ending was shocking to me, reading about the divine interventions reiterated why Fran has such trust in her faith and God.

If you read the book, I suggest visiting FrancesSmith.Com and digging deeper. Very helpful after each chapter.

Definitely something I will think about for a long time. 

To Purchase

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary book for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was offered.