by Alan B MacDonald

ON AN OUTBOUND TIDE is the story of a man with wanderlust who God used for His Kingdom. Romans 10:17 says that faith/salvation in Jesus Christ comes by “hearing the Word of God.” God used Alan MacDonald and Wycliffe Bible Translators to take the Word of God to the peoples of the world in their own languages.  He was used initially as the oil needed to grease diplomatic engines but also as the “engine” itself.

Alan’s story encourages everyone who would dare to serve the Lord Jesus anywhere and in any way. No orneriness, brokenness, rebellion, or depression bothers our God when He is determined to use a man (or woman) for His glory. He did it with Alan MacDonald.

I read the first chapters of this memoir with a grin. The jokester, prankster, and dare-devil Alan was hilarious to learn about. (I shared glimpses of his antics with my husband, who just shook his head.)  However, the last chapters left me amazed and astonished because of the places Alan went and the people he influenced.  The middle chapters are like a double-double cheeseburger at an In-N-Out restaurant. They reveal the real nitty-gritty making of a man after God’s heart. 

Alan is truthful and transparent through the very painful seasons of his life. He confesses his faults and sins and, without meaning to I’m sure, makes his readers examine their own lives.  I may judge some of Alan’s actions and compromises, but as the saying goes, “You had to be there!”  And I wasn’t. 

For a look at how God molds and uses an imperfect man for good and His glory, read Alan B. MacDonald’s ON AN OUTBOUND TIDE.  I was amused, admonished, and wowed.  I loved it.