Jeremiah Peters has written thoughtful book with a fascinating premise. Melissa, a human who lives in Heaven, talks with Jesus, and plays with “her” angel. But unlike the other humans who live there, Melissa has no memories of her time on Earth. One day, Jesus comes to her to tell her He has a mission for her. She is to go to Earth and share the message, “God loves you and forgives you.” She is so excited about her mission that she doesn’t exactly pay rapt attention to Jesus or the instructions He gives her.
Off to Earth she goes where she lands on a park bench next to Harriet Simons, a kindly black woman who gives to Melissa the envelope that she “forgot” on the bench. She’s told to go to McCullen’s Department Store. On her way after asking Harriet directions, she gives her message to everyone with whom she comes in contact. Arriving at McCullen’s and going to the “Office” as instructed, she finds herself with a job—then she finds out she has an apartment and meets Todd, a young black man who also was hired for the store. Todd kindly walks her to her new home.
Todd Simmons (yes, Harriet is his grandmother), blames facilities like the Southside Women’s Clinic, an abortion center, for the death of his mother. He is determined to get revenge against such facilities.
I loved Melissa and watching her learn all about this new world she’s living in. From light switches to a cash register that makes delightful noises to cooking a frozen pizza and listening to the choir at the neighborhood church, Melissa’s journey to her mission and her past is fascinating. The cast of characters that surround her is also intriguing—from Todd to Jonathan to Ms. Gibbons to Martin.
As Melissa tries to help Todd, she also runs into the evil of this world, especially abortion and man’s cruelty to the unborn and to each other. Peters paints a convicting picture of our world today and how far we’ve come from the Edenic state in which we used to live.
Demonic forces are at play here—along with angelic ones. Will Melissa be able to save Todd from his quest and deliver her message, or will the dark truth of her past lead her to abandon her mission?
Jeremiah Peters is serving as the pastor at New Hope Church, A Primitive Methodist church, in Methuen, MA. He and his wife, Jodie, have six children and four grandchildren. They live in Sandown, NH. To connect with Jeremiah, visit him at his website, Jeremiah Peters.
To purchase Jeremiah’s book, click the link: A Message to Deliver
Jeremiah gave me a copy of A Message to Deliver in exchange for my candid review.