Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The Story Never Ends There

A few years ago, I was in a really dark place. I was lost in a sin that felt overpowering and uncontrollable. Night after night I begged and screamed prayers in a drunken haze. Sometimes those prayers were for death. I knew God was listening, but I was getting tired of my own repetition because I kept going back to that sin. I knew I needed out, and He was the one to make it happen.

Present day, I am no longer in that place and I am ever so grateful. I may have felt like there was no way out at the time, but God was always there and put into motion a way out.

Looking back, I see where God was at work. I felt so helpless and didn't get the answer I had hoped for. But He didn't leave me there; He loved me too much.

I had the chance to read an advance copy of a book called Made Well by Jenny Simmons. This book reveals the many ways healing happens even when the cure we're begging for doesn't. While reading, I was reminded of how I felt in this dark place, but I can look at it now and see where God was working His healing. But it wasn't as if she was offering for me to look at it; she spoke exactly what I was dealing with.

"Not seeing a way forward or knowing how to deal with feelings that fester just below the surface of an unwell heart, a sick person will go to great lengths to numb the pain. But when a person pleads for escape routes, what they are often pleading for is a catalyst toward healing. A way forward. We want to be well; we just don't always know how to get there"

That was me. And until I read that part, I never thought anyone could explain it the way I did. Nobody ever expressed the exact hell I was in so perfectly.

But the story doesn't end there. That's what I love about Jenny's words. She connects so well to the heart of people who read her words, that it feels like you're sitting and talking over coffee. Actually, it feels more like you're having the coffee while Jenny pours into you. At least that's how it feels for me.

Made Well shares stories of pain and heartbreak from her own personal life, the lives of family, and of friends with just enough room to see where healing has leaked in. It would be hard to read this book without walking away knowing you are loved by a God who cares about the broken areas in our lives. It would be hard to read this book without feeling like you're catching up with an old friend through laughter and tears. It would be hard to read this book without wanting to show up for others when they are hurting. That is exactly what this book gives.

I'm highly recommending this book because my goal in life is to love others well. That's exactly what I feel in reading Jenny's words; that she loves me well. I've no doubt that anyone reading will feel the same.

This book releases October 4th, but you can pre-order a copy at www.madewellbook.com
When you pre-order, you have the chance to sign up for some freebies as well as having a chance to win other cool stuff. But if you ask me, the book itself is a wonderful prize by itself.

Anyone who knows me knows that when I love something, I'm going to talk about it. I love Jenny. I love Jenny's words. I love Jenny's heart. And most of all, I love the same healing God that Jenny talks about. Give the book a read. I dare you.

No comments:

Post a Comment