Quick Take
- Best for: Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Siblings who have experienced loss.
- Vibe: Somber but joyful, beautiful but bleak, full of love and spirituality.
- Pace: Medium-Fast
- One-liner: God has a plan for everyone, even the children.
Overview
The Timeless Playground is a beautifully written story that pays homage to children who have passed away and are waiting to rejoin their families in Heaven. Combs shares his image of children in a peaceful realm of love and life. In this place, passed family members come to visit, the Holy Trinity is integrated into daily life, and the children often get a chance to tune in to life on Earth.
Life is difficult when parents and family members are grieving, and Combs artfully balances sorrow and pain with forgiveness and understanding. There are three over-arching messages that I took away from this story.
- If you allow helplessness and disdain to seep into your heart, it can blot out your joy.
- Even when you feel like you're doing the right things for the right reasons, if you're not including God in the process, you may be headed down the wrong path.
- Jesus is for everyone. No matter how bad you think you messed up, no matter how far you've fallen, He continues to wait patiently with open arms for your return.
What Worked
While the story substance is extremely sad, Combs uses dialogue and relatable scenes to produce a sense of hope throughout the book. The character growth and realistic relationships make the story tangible. These characters are people we can all relate with. They do the things we do, feel the things we feel, and share a message that we all need to hear.
Combs does an incredible job of blending Scriptural references and artistic liberties to paint quite a beautiful picture of what he believes our eternal resting place will look like. In the foreword he makes it very clear that the visuals are purely imaginative, but I sure hope he's right! The scenes of Heaven are like something out of an art gallery, evoking emotion, inspiration, and awe.
What Didn't Work
I loved this story, but I feel like there were a couple parts that seemed like abrupt transitions between tension and resolution. Combs does a great job of hinting at foreshadowing, but sometimes that foreshadowing is resolved on the very next page. This might be OK for some, but for me being a lover of suspense, I wish there had been a little delay between the rising tension and the resolution.
Favorite Quotes
As Dear Abby said: "The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints."
"When God puts a thing into our hearts, it is our duty to extract that thing and put it out into the world."
"To destroy is easy, but to create is a delight."
Who Should Read This
I think this book would be great for anyone who is experiencing or has experienced the loss of a child. Not only their own child, but perhaps a niece, nephew, grandchild, or close friend. May you find comfort in these pages and hope that you will one day be reunited.
Final Verdict
Overall the book was very well written and a joy to read. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and most importantly it made me think - everything I want in a good story.
I have reached out to Bradford Combs who happens to be an acquaintance of mine, and I hope to have an interview with him soon. Check back for updates and check my other social media sites below!