MoonglotexasToday, I proudly welcome my mum and fellow book reviewer, Karren Hodgkins to the blog to jointly review a book we both thoroughly enjoyed and has led us into interesting discussions. Over to her:
This is a must-read… there are words of wisdom on every page, based on true realities of life
Every chapter of this book is a combination of authenticity and truth. The result is powerful. Lysa’s work is both brave and inspiring. I mean, who writes a book about something, when you don’t know how its all going to turn out? Who writes with such passion and conviction whilst still being in “the messy middle.” Truly, Lysa lives, “Let Thy Will, Not My Will Be Done,’
We’ve all been disappointed at some stage. we’ve all suffered the pain, whether physical, emotional or spiritual and one of Lysa’s gifts is to clarify complicated concepts into expressions that you can latch on to. Some of my favourites are as follows:
“ I want to learn to wrestle well in this life between two gardens.”
“ We praise God when our normal looks like what we thought it would. We question God when it doesn’t.”
“I could only face the future in teaspoons of time.”
There is no doubt that reading this book strengthens one’s faith. Perhaps it’s fitting that I feel compelled to review the book while I am in the ‘messy middle’ of it… It’s just so good, I can’t rush through it! I will read it again, and I recommend it to all. Is there anyone you know that hasn’t felt at some point in their life that “It’s not supposed to be this way?” If there aren’t, I certainly haven’t met them. It’s Five out of Five on the en-JOY-ment scale !!
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
From the back cover:
New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to live assured when life doesn’t turn out like they expected.
What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, His lack of intervention hurtful, and His promises doubtful?
Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a moment, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned, and we quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness.
Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But she’s also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humor, helps us to:
Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations.
Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes.
Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle.
Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us.
Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God’s truth.
