Thursday, June 9, 2016

Brokenness to Beauty – A Book Review

I have the privilege of reviewing Jacqueline Wallace’s book, Brokenness to Beauty, today. Drawn from her own experience with cancer and myasthenia gravis, Ms. Wallace shares her journey in an authentic and relatable manner. Her battles with fear are real but so is her hope. Her book seeks to encourage through prayer, Bible reading, having a community of support, and a purpose to get up each day.

After her first cancer surgery she wrote in her blog: “What is hopeless and impossible with man is not so for God, for all things are possible with God. Am I scared? Of course I am. Do I have anger and fears? Absolutely. I cry to the Lord who hears and understands, and who alone can do anything about them. I cast myself on his mercy. If others hadn’t been in similar situations we wouldn’t have the Scriptures, which are full of such agonies. Now I choose to affirm my faith in the God Who Is” (pp. 17-18).

Ms. Wallace goes on to say: “The roots of my life, the foundations of my life, are set deeply in the Word of God and the God of the Word. Going back to my roots in God and his Word gives me perspective in the midst of pain and struggle and the fear of the unknown, for the unknown is only unknown to me, not to God. I can rest in his goodness even when I cannot see my way ahead…My faith is in him, not in my ability to have all the answers” (p. 132).

I had no way of knowing when I got Brokenness to Beauty that I’d be entering a very difficult period in my life. But God did. And it’s exactly what I needed. Ms. Wallace doesn't just share from a place of brokenness but also beauty in her journey through chronic illness and cancer. Though much of what she wrote was familiar to me, the way in which she delivered it showed great spiritual insight and really spoke to me in a fresh way. I was reminded of the beauty of prayer through several Bible psalm references and her blog quotes. One of my favorite Oswald Chambers quotes she shared reminds that “worship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other.” It is abundantly clear that the author has a firm grasp on how to rest in God and have a rich spiritual life despite suffering and brokenness. This is a book I will continue to reference in the future through my own spiritual journey with Christ.

Laura Hodges Poole blogs regularly at  "A Word of Encouragement." Her latest book, The Trouble With Jasmine, is available on Amazon.com.

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for bringing this book to my attention.

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    1. You're welcome, Mary. It's a wonderful book. Hope you're as blessed by it as I've been!

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  2. Thank you for sharing!
    Connie
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

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