Book Review: Shared Hearts

    What in the world could a homeless African-American man have in common with an upscale art dealer in Texas? Thanks to Booksneeze letting me review a free copy of Same Kind of Different as Me on behalf of Thomas Nelson Publishing, I now know.  Ron Hall and Denver Moore take a through a journey of their lives. When their paths intersect something close to a miracle occurs within them. The power behind their friendship is none other than God who works through Hall's wife, Deborah.
    I remember being introduced to the title when I was at a Women of Faith concert two years ago, but chose rather a couple of books authored by the speakers instead. Yet still, I kept wondering what was in this book Same Kind of Different as Me. What I found within is something I'll never forget.
    The first few pages aren't exactly luring, though the flow is written well enough you get through to when Denver's life begins to throw him more than his fair share of punches. It'd be hard for anyone to go through that and not end up on the streets. Ron's life was sweet enough in contrast to Denver's.
    God always works for those who love him. Has He ever proved otherwise? Deborah isn't comfortable with her high life and felt called to work in a mission.  It amazes me that angels can come from anywhere. She was an angel to many. Before she passed away from colon cancer she brought two people with very hard hearts together who needed one another to share life with. They found comfort with one another in those days of grief that were too much to bear alone.
     In Same Kind of Difference as Me Denver and Ron find their shared common humanity and compassion they both harbor deep down. It's not a book to read once, but rather one to read multiple times to find the wonderful nuggets of insight that Denver brings. Maybe his life on the streets gave him time to really converse with God and find the deeper meanings to life's problems than the average person. The cold didn't harden his heart and he found God to be his best and only chance to survive.
    This book is definitely a book of finding common hope in life. Sometimes when we call out to God it may be we need only to look over our shoulder to see whom He sent. Same Kind of Different as Me is a great book to give as a gift to those who need a bit of hope. Don't we all.