For those thinking about buying and reading the book, I wanted to provide a little more background on it.
This is Part 2: Should I read this book? I’m not (or I am) currently grieving. (short answer: yes)
See Part 1 here (What’s in the book?)
It certainly seems readily apparent that a book about the death of a child would appeal most to those who also lost a child, or had a similar unexpected loss of a dear loved one and are facing major grief. In fact, several friends who have read an early version of the book said they would like several copies for those going through similar trials.
But what about everyone else who isn’t in that category (or at least not right now)? Is there value in reading the book? Well, here’s the thing, Waiting for Peace isn’t really a “grief” book. There are other books that are specifically focused on the working out of your grief: how to cope, what to expect, how to turn your sadness back towards God. There is certainly an element of that in this book, in fact the lesson portion of chapter 9 is called “Grieving with Hope”, but that’s not really the main thrust of the book. Most of the narrative of the book is about Ember’s life, not her death, and we didn’t know she would die until the very end. And accordingly, most of the lessons are about the trials of life which we all face: anxiety, prayer, dealing with children and spouse, and so on. As I wrote, I was not solely thinking about all that I had experienced in grief so that I could help others who go through this kind of major grief (that was part of it, but not my main goal), I was actually thinking more about the entirety of the trial and expressing the things I had learned through it all to help all of us live better lives.
The truth is that in this day and age, most people will not lose their child to death. But all of us will go through trials. In fact, I’ll be bold enough to say that all of us will go through pretty hard trials, of one sort or another. If it hasn’t happened yet, it will. God has allowed life in this world to be challenging, as part of his providence. And as we go through trials, it helps us to hear from those who have been through something else challenging and learn from their experiences.
So yes, I recognize that this book will hold a special appeal to those who have lost a child, and that is fine. I certainly hope it is an encouragement to them. I also recognize that an emotionally draining story may be something you only feel you can read in a certain frame of mind. But at the same time, I hope you are not turned off if your situation is different. My prayer is that this book will be a helpful benefit to all sorts of people who are walking through the struggle of this life.
Next time, I’ll address the question: Why is the book being released now, five years later?
Thanks, Dan, we love that you have written this book and pray that it will touch the lives of those who need to know that someone has walked a similar incredibly difficult path…and know that someone has survived….with scars and pain …. but with the ability to look up and find joy. You are an amazing person and we are blessed to have you in our lives.
Thank you, Ginny. That’s very kind. I do pray the book will touch many lives.