BLURB:

If you’ve ever pondered how you’ve ended up where you are in life, why things happen the way they do and what your life’s purpose is, then you’ll love My Life Interpreted. It is an uplifting book of ninety-nine inspiring reflections that seeks to demystify the questions of everyday life. Through real-life examples, Wanda Octave demonstrates how you can use your own life to decipher spiritual principles begging for attention.

The answers to life’s burning questions are often right in front of you and Octave shows in a practical and down to earth manner how to access those answers and live more fully.

What started out for Octave as snippets of her own life sent weekly to her list of newsletter subscribers has now been collected into one volume of inspiration. My Life Interpreted is a delightful daily companion or the perfect gift book for anyone seeking encouragement.

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EXCERPT:

Be a Samaritan

Last week, as I stood in line at the supermarket, I realized that the woman in front of me looked very uneasy offloading her basket. Tightly clutching about three or four low-denomination bills, she looked on nervously at the cash register as each item was scanned. Just before the last two items hit the scanner, I touched her shoulder and told her that I would pay for her groceries.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said and told the cashier that it was okay to move on to scanning my items. At first the woman looked confused. But after a few seconds, she quickly picked up her bags and left as my groceries began to take up space at the end of the counter.

My first thought was, “Hang on a minute—she didn’t even say ‘Thank you!’” But then I knew that she was genuinely shocked and perhaps had no time to process what had just happened. Besides, that was not why I helped her. I was moved to. And whether she was grateful or not, I had wanted to.

As I was walking out of the supermarket, I spotted the woman standing outside.

“Hi,” she said. “I just wanted to thank you. Do you know me?” She looked scared and confused.

“No, I do not know you,” I said. “But it doesn’t matter whether I know you or not.”

“Then why did you do this for me? What is your name; where do you live?”

I laughed and tried to reassure her that this was not about me knowing who she was, or she knowing who I was. This was about me recognizing that she was in distress and helping her.

“You have no idea, miss, but God sent you.” Her eyes started to well up. “I wanted to buy a pack of ketchup, but I knew I wouldn’t have had enough money, and there were other things I needed that I couldn’t buy.”

“Well,” I said, “now, you can go back in and pick them up!”

She looked at me, breathing heavily, and I knew she would have thrown her arms around me if we were not outside the supermarket. There was so much gratitude in her eyes. Then she started to complain that she had nothing to give in return.

“Please don’t,” I told her.  I reminded her that this was not about her giving back to me. It was about her accepting what I had just done. And it was about her helping someone else in whatever way she could, whenever the opportunity presented itself – even someone she didn’t know.

She squeezed my hand and ran back into the supermarket.

At that moment I almost cried. I felt like one of those Internet stories that you are not sure whether to believe or not. It felt really good. What I had done was second nature to me but meant the world to that woman. For me it was thirty dollars, but for her, it was another week of groceries and a life lesson. 

That night, I was relaying the story to my mom and as I began explaining what happened, she cut me off. “Why didn’t you pay for her groceries?” she asked.

“I did!” I told her and continued. As we spoke, she reminded me that I should never think twice about lending a hand to those in need. That whenever I could, whatever I could do, I just needed to do it.

She had repeated exactly what I had said to the woman. I had done exactly what my mother would have done. I had learned to give because I saw her do it her whole life. She inspired me to be generous. She inspired me to look beyond labels. The woman at the supermarket could have been a mean and inconsiderate person.  It didn’t matter. At that moment, she needed help and I was in a position to help her. She could have been me. I could have been her. I would have wanted someone to step in to help me too.

When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” I believe He was talking about proximity—the one who is next to you (right now) who needs you. And whoever that may be—your family, your friends, your work colleagues, a stranger—reach out in love. Open up your heart. Give. Help. Empathize.

Life is short…be a Samaritan. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Wanda Octave lives with constant fascination and intrigue for life. Her amazing ability to extract spiritual messages out of everyday experiences, has kept readers captivated for years and is finally revealed in her new book My Life Interpreted. A former Marketing professional, Octave worked in the fields of banking, real estate and tourism before becoming a writer.

Hailing from the small Caribbean Island which produced two Nobel Laureates – Honorable Derek Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis, Octave has set her sights on becoming an international best-selling author, hoping to again position Saint Lucia as a force of to be reckoned with.

Learn more at www.wandaoctave.com or follow My Life Interpreted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Life-Interpreted/424218667598103

https://www.amazon.com/author/wandaoctave

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Wanda will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.
My Life Interpreted: How I Discovered the Keys to Fulfillment Within My Everyday Experiences by Wanda Octave

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All too often, God brings exactly the right book into my life to read at the exact time He wants me to. I had a very rough day today, and I still had this book scheduled to review. I picked it up, and from page one, I was immersed within it. It was as though the author had seen my predicament today and written a story that addressed the very things with which I was dealing. This book is clean, inspirational, and a very easy read.

Each chapter is 1-2 pages in length, and I recommend reading only a couple of sections a day at the most. The author puts forth her Christian inspirational beliefs, but she is never preachy. She comes across as being authentic and well-spoken. I would recommend this to anyone who is searching for uplifting words that will inspire you to reach for your dreams.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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