Stones of Fire

Isobel Kuhn speaks of stones of fire as almost an oxymoron. Stones are hard and cold, and fire is hot and passionate. She describes people as stones of fire, people with fiery passion held rock solid by principle. Opals, stones with broken hearts made beautiful by the light that sparkles through them, are used as a physical example of a stone of fire. The book is written of just such a fiery stone. The story of Mary begins when her name was still Third Sister in a small Lisu village in the highlands of China. We see her introduction to the missionaries John and Isobel Kuhn, her understanding of the Gospel, and her attraction to Lu-Seng. The reality of her faith and trust in God is tested throughout the book, and she proves to be a `stone of fire'. The book is written in a very easy to read style, and readers will be drawn into Mary's life, as she encounters so many trials and hardships. We read of her family and her marriage, the communist occupation and political turmoils of their village, and the physical problems that eventually led to her death at the ripe old age of... 25 years old. Through it all, she manifested such a sweet patience, so unlike Third Sister's feisty temper, that was rooted in her trust in the One Who redeemed her from her sins. Mary is such an example of a passionate woman who learns to let the Lord channel her passion to serve Him instead of herself. I felt ashamed of myself at times when reading of her love and trust, and awed once again by the power of Jesus Christ to change lives, even mine. If I could rate this book with more than five stars, I would. It is to be highly recommended.

This is my favorite of all Isobel Kuhn' books. She likens the Lisu tribe people to opals, the stone of fire. As Christians, it is only through brokenness that we can reflect Christ's light as an opal shows the fire in crevices and imperfections of the stone.