Jacob's Bell by John Snyder - Book Review

Jacob's Bell is a Christmas story that shows the benefit of the Salvation Army and how important that organization is to helping those that are living on the street, down on their luck and need a helping hand. Jacob had it all. A wonderful wife, children, a very successful career, wealth and prestige. Through a series of very bad decisions he ended up in prison. Those bad decisions continues to haunt him so that when he got out alcohol was the only escape. He couldn't forgive himself and drank more and more to forget what he had done. Eventually, a pastor sees him on the streets, drunk. That pastor encourages Jacob to come to the Salvation Army's shelter, to get food and warmth. In order to stay there though he had to stay sober. This wasn't easy for Jacob and he relapsed. Eventually, though the pastor gets Jacob to unburden himself by telling his story. The Pastor also introduces Jacob to Jesus. He teaches him about forgiveness that is offered to us by Jesus but it takes a long time for Jacob to grasp that forgiveness is for him personally. As often is the case, it takes Jacob a long time to forgive himself. This was a wonderful Christmas story about the bell ringers for the Salvation Army and through a fictional character shows how that money benefits those in our community. Plus this story is about forgiveness offered to all of us through Jesus Christ and it is about reconciliation of family. 

I received this book free from the publisher.