One of my worst fears in life is something happening to one of my kids, or my husband. I'm working through these fears more this year than I think I ever have, and asking God to show me that HE is truly all I need. If I have to be completely honest with you, I was a bit hesitant about reading this book I'm about to tell you about. I knew two things about it. #1 This little boy gets cancer. #2 The little boy lives. (I'm not giving anything away, it's on the back of the book!)
WEDNESDAY'S WERE PRETTY NORMAL: A BOY, CANCER AND GOD was a fabulous book. Michael Kelley did a fabulous job of taking you through the journey that I'm sure he wishes he would have never had to go through. I was worried that I would have nothing to relate to this book, since none of my kids have cancer. I also worried that this book would bring about more of my fear that I struggle with about my kids getting sick and leaving this earth. Let me tell you that this book resonated with my heart so much, that I found myself underlining all over the book. Also this book did not bring about fear in my heart about something happening to my kids, but yet it did the opposite. It brought about confidence in a God that is in control and that no matter what happens he is in control, getting glory, and bringing good through it.
One of my favorite parts of this book was how Michael talked about Jesus and the story of when his friend Lazarus had died and he waited four days to go and visit Martha and Mary. He talked about how Martha and Mary reacted to Jesus' decision to wait and not come right away. The anger that they might have felt and the hurt that Jesus, the one who could have cured him, did not come right away. The way he described this whole scene had me weeping. Mary wanted answers from Jesus, and she fell at his feet in tears. She asked him what she wanted to hear, “why did you not come? If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
At this point in the book I was bawling. Maybe because I was in the waiting room as Deacon was having another surgery. I was probably asking my own questions to God. “Why my son?”. “He doesn't deserve this.” “I wish you would just heal him already!” (I wrote about reading this book while waiting for Deacon's surgery HERE)
I felt Mary's pain so much. She was so broken from her brother and so in need of the comfort from Jesus. Michael Kelley then truly brought me to tears as he described what Jesus did next. I wish that I could write for you the whole next three pages, but that would be a lot of writing and a lot of quotes …. I'm telling you it is good. In fact, as I re-read this now I'm crying again.
As Mary cried at his feet the bible says “He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved.” (John 11:33) I will quote Micheal Kelley here:
Jesus understands better that we do that many times the most effective way for the glory of God to be advanced is through the suffering of His people. He is the God of the cross, the one who endured great suffering Himself for the glory of God. So He, more than anyone else, understands that suffering is an incredibly powerful avenue for God's glory to go out. He knows it, but He doesn't have to like it. I think that's why He was angry. And I think that's why, as we see in verse 35, He wept.
In His tears you can almost hear His explanation: “I am so sorry that it has to be this way.”
Oh the tears for me.
I am telling you that this book will minster to you. If you are struggling with waiting on an adoption, this book will resonate with you. If you are struggling with someone you love having an illness, this book will move you. If you are struggling with the loss of a loved one, this book will minister to you.
I will leave you with this, and then tell you how you can get a free copy of this book from me!
In taking God as our refuge, we must also realize that these circumstances are in our lives because He has sen fit for them to be there. That's the whole truth.
It's a journey of trying to embrace the fact that God is our refuge but not a comfortable one to hold onto. It's a journey of realizing that He is our safe place, and yet He is not safe at all. It's a journey of realizing more and more of what it means to walk deeply with God and all the doubt, fear, anxiety, peace, and joy that come with it and how those things can possibly coexist together.
I can't wait to get this book in your hands!
I have one book to give away to a very luck winner! I'm gonna give you five different ways to enter. You do not have to do them all, you can do however many you like to do, but the more you do the more chances you have to win. For each one that you do, make a separate entry!
If you don't win, head on over to Amazon and get yourself one. I think they are on sale right now for a little more than $10!
Okay back to how you can win one ……
1. Head on over to Michael Kelley's facebook page and give him a like. If you can leave him a comment, tell him you found him through my blog.
2. Head on over to my facebook page and like me. Hey I'd love to get more friends and you are just the friend I want!
3. Tell me why you think this book will be so good for your soul! What are you going through that's hard right now and you need a great big encouragement!
4. Tweet about this contest! If you need help, here you go: I hope to win the book that @jamie_ivey is giving away at Dreaming Big Dreams from @_MichaelKelley! #prettynormal http://bit.ly/HXOYTa
5. Share this contest on facebook!
For real, you can do one of these things or do all five. It does not matter to me, although I would really love to hear from you all on why you think this book would minister to you!!!
Have fun! Good luck and enjoy this video from the author!
**Contest ends Tuesday at midnight!! (CST)
CONGRATS TO MEGHAN!!!
Here are your random numbers:
1
Timestamp: 2012-04-21 22:05:25 UTC
I liked his facebook page!
I like your friend page already…does that count?!
I tweeted the info on twitter!
I liked his facebook page.
I liked your facebook page (which I thought I’d already done. I’m such a slacker : )
I really need to read this book. I also struggle with something happening to my kids. This last week was actually probably the worst I’ve struggled with it in a while. One of my friend’s nieces passed away suddenly on Friday morning (they found her unresponsive in her bed…she was 9). One of my oldest son’s friends died from cancer on Saturday (he was 8). There have been lots of tears shed in our house this weekend and lots of asking God why and lots of fear. Yes. I need this book.
I have pretty much always struggled with similar fears of illness and death – mostly for myself, but increasingly now for my parents, and sometimes my kids or husband. The frequency and intensity of these worries has lessened the past few years, with some focused work on developing a more realistic and faithful perspective…but still…especially at times when I am trying to plan for the future (e.g., currently lookiing at career choices that would hinge on relative health for at least a couple of years!), the fears tend to pop up (along with various nagging pains, etc.). Anyway, this book just might be an important read for me – a subject I tend to avoid, but need to reck
on with.
I tweeted it.
and finally…posted it on facebook
I soooo need to read this book. I miscarried in February and almost died myself. I have a 13 year old son who is having health problems and is in constant pain. I feel so helpless watching him hurt and there’s nothing that I can do. I have struggled dealing with this during all of this. It’s like I wait to be knocked down again and again due to something else happening.
I have already liked your FB page and have been a big follower of your blog for a while now.
I like his Facebook page and told him that I found it through your blog.
I liked his facebook page and told him I found it through your blog.
I liked your facebook page and left you a message.
I like you Facebook page!!
I liked Michael’s facebook page!
I have been hearing about this book everywhere and I can’t wait to read it! Thanks for having a giveaway…maybe I’ll get lucky!! So enjoy your blog!
more options for nonfacebook/nontweeters! : )
Hey Jamie I went and liked his facebook page and left a comment about you and your blog too! 😀
I liked your Facebook
I tweeted about the contest
I already liked your facebook page a while ago, but I went and left you a comment to let you know I stopped by! 😀
Jamie, I think there is so much that would be good for my soul in reading this book right now. While I type my hubby is at the doctors finding out what some blood test results could mean…one of which could possibly mean cancer. He was my high school sweetheart, and now that we are both in our 40’s and married nearly 22 years, we have been together longer than we have been apar when you add on the 3 years we dated too. So scary!!! In this all…I know God is in control! But still scared!!
I tweeted about the giveaway!! 😀
I shared about your give away on facebook!
Just yesterday, a friend from high school sent her four year old daughter home to be with Jesus. Our girls were the same age and had the same name. I am stricken by how fragile all of life is, and I ache at the impact of knowing and seeing how no thing here on Earth is promised to us. Nothing is sure beyond the fact that God is, God loves, and that He saves. I would love to read more about this kind of struggle, and learn to better manage that tension between loving and letting go from someone who has experienced it first hand.