Reviewed by Lily Andrews
“Imperfect Happiness: A Journey of Perfect Twists – Thirty-Day Devotional to Living Life Well” by Terry C. Fleitz is an inspiring Christian devotional that aims to inform and help readers navigate various challenges and thus be able to live in the best way possible, with a strong sense of purpose, wisdom, positivity, and faith. Purchase Here.
Fleitz begins with a childhood memory. He remembers his sixth-grade teacher, Sister Magdalene, explaining what would, in years to come, become a strong basis for his understanding of integrity. She was the first person from outside the home to challenge him to think seriously about right and wrong, and also to see moral choices as deliberate acts rather than automatic responses. His parents were, of course, the first ones to instill in him a sense of honesty, hard work, and compassion. This they did, not through stern lectures but through deliberate behavior and choices. Over time, he would come to discover several life-changing truths. They include: living the best life is directly connected to building a closer relationship with God, that true success cannot be measured by material gain or social status, and that the depth of one’s faith and the sincerity of their relationships is directly tied to a lasting sense of joy, peace, and fulfilment.
As you read through this book, you can’t fail to notice Fleitz’s use of metaphors and imagery to communicate certain truths in more depth. They include “From the Ocean to the Mountain,” a real transition that he uses to describe two contrasting stages in his life’s journey, “The Organization” which apart from being a physical place, dramatizes general worldly success and moral compromise, “The Desert,” which represents a state of burnout and spiritual emptiness that follows overwork and misplaced ambition, and “The Room of Shame,” a metaphor that illustrates the inner chamber of conscience, that is, the place within oneself that holds guilt and regret. These, among others, beautifully and profoundly create a literary structure that mirrors his message, each marking a stage in the reader’s heart as they learn to live well.
This book is rich with scriptural references, especially verses from the Book of Psalms. This rich incorporation makes it feel meditative and authentic, with a sense of spiritual intimacy that draws the reader inward. It has the advantage of combining a devotional sense with memoir, in that the author can merge experience with reflection, grounding his words in a realism readers can relate to and, maybe, learn from. Talking of structure, this book is complex, but in a good way. Every chapter has a “Pause and Reflect” section that feels intentionally placed to interrupt the narrative flow and shift the reader’s attention to self-examination. Additionally, the structure shifts between narrative, to prayer and song, in a multi-layered design that is a show of clever craftsmanship and a form of artistic control. Readers will agree that this style of writing is unique and helps prevent the text from becoming monotonous.
“Imperfect Happiness: A Journey of Perfect Twists – Thirty-Day Devotional to Living Life Well” by Terry C. Fleitz is a book that needs to be studied with a pen and a notebook, owing to its depth, density, and reflective nature. This study’s approach is also likely to move the reader from passive observation to active participation. Readers seeking meaning beyond material success, as well as those who have spent years chasing achievement, will deeply identify more with Fleitz’s experiences and discoveries. Additionally, those who have faced illness or loss will find genuine comfort in his honest retellings, which do not sensationalize suffering but rather treat it as a teacher that often helps draw meaning from even the darkest experiences. This is an essential read that intelligently reveals just how adversity can be redemptive and how faith can transform pain into purpose, despair into growth, and hardship into spiritual renewal. Excellent work, Terry Fleitz!