This is one a book I most recently read, and it did not disappoint.  It’s subtitle reads, “finding unexpected strength when disappointments leave you shattered”.  I found this book helpful to reflect on the other areas of my life that whittled away at my spirit besides the loss of my girls.  This book helped me when I felt inferior after leaving my job, or when relationships were changed beyond my control.  I was reminded that God has a much greater story for me!

I met this amazing family in 2018 just after our second daughter died.  This story was written after this family was involved in a tragic car accident that left their daughter with a TBI.  It reminds us that the scars that seem to hurt us are also seen as beauty marks by God.  No matter what has wounded your heart, you can heal from it and fearlessly wear your scars as reminders of how beautiful and strong you truly are!

Jessie was a brave, courageous, and joyful girl who battled cancer yet was never defeated by it.  NEGU reminds us that we can focus on bringing hope, joy, and love to others even in the face of incredible heartbreak. 

This book was shared with me by a follower of our daughter’s journey, and it was in perfect timing.  It is subtitled, “Believing God is Good When Life is Not”, which is something we all struggle with from time to time. This short book is filled with stories of everyday people who struggled with doubt and fear and felt alone in their walk.  

Learning to live a life of gratitude, especially in the midst of pain, loss, and chaos, is a blessing that few acquire.  Ann shares with us a way to find the little blessings in everyday from God, a way to live fearlessly, and how to become present and aware of God’s presence in our everyday life.  Some days it is hard to see God’s grace and blessings in the midst of the challenges of life, but focusing on the little things helps pave the way to see the bigger blessings and begin to find true happiness. 

This book offers hope to bereaved parents as they learn to navigate for themselves the lonely road.  The focus is on the fact that families don’t “recover” from loss, but they navigate a new life that may never resemble the former, and that is okay.  This book offers validation for grieving parents in an honest way addressing things only other parents in the same situation can appreciate.

Everyone faces adversity in some capacity.  Instead of focusing on, “why this happened”, we are encouraged to ponder, “how should I respond?” instead. What does God see in our adversity? 

This book allows us to look at grief in a new way, as something we don’t “get through or over”, but rather as a new path we take, walking with our grief.  Oftentimes we feel like failures if we are not “grieving as well as others”, and this book encourages us to look at loss as something to be validated rather than tucked away. 

The title won me over before I ever read the exerpt.  What happens when the life you worked to establish is shattered or even obliterated?  When life changes course, it doesn’t mean the road is gone, it just means we take a different route.  She said that while my situation might not change or get better, with Jesus I can.  I can live a better life, despite my situation and circumstances.