Two years ago this month, I lost my eldest son at only 36. It was sudden. It was tragic. Not a day has gone by that I have not mourned, deeply. In the past two years, I have gobbled up everything I can find to help me find my way in this horrible situation (as long as I feel it's a trustworthy, Biblical source). I've read books that have brought hope, and I've read some that I had to put aside because they didn't resonate or held Biblical error. I've listened to preaching galore.

So about this source:

Because this is a year-long devotional, I'm not finished with it. I'm about 50 days in, but I feel that's a good beginning--enough to tell you that I will absolutely keep reading this book. It is one of the few devotionals that both spoke to my heart and gave voice to my grief.

The selections are brief, just enough to grab onto. This is important, because attention span is short in grief, and I don't know when one gets over that, or if they ever do. The way the book is broken down by practices throughout--Wail, Connect, Worship, Hope--at first didn't mean much to me, but as I've progressed through the entries and learned to understand more on this journey, they've made more sense. I sometimes go back to the introduction to understand them again.

I don't know that the grief "healing process" ever brings about full healing. From what I'm told, probably not until I see Jesus. But in a devotional like this, you feel like there's someone there to tell you that the journey you are on is uniquely your own, and that it's okay for it to be that way. You sense the Lord's hand holding yours. In short, this little book offers a venue to freely grieve and to be comforted.

I highly recommend it to anyone experiencing the death of a loved one, and I'm very, very sorry for your heartache and loss.

This is a great devotional! It’s been very helpful for me. I would definitely recommend it to friends and family.

When you are at the bottom of this valley and you can't even feel the daylight, you need something in little snippets to get you from one moment to the next. What a great book to have as your companion in the depths of life. It doesn't overwhelm, but it would be a wonderful daily reminder that the day is coming when you will feel the sunshine again.

Full of encouraging scripture and devotional thoughts, this grief devotional is a balm for slowly healing the deep wounds of suffering experienced through a death.

As a leader in women’s ministry at my church, I look for books that can speak to the needs of women and what they may go through, in order to continually point them to Jesus. I have not read many books on grief but I am convinced that God will use this year long devotional as a powerful tool for healing the broken hearts of His followers, male or female.

Right now, I have close friends who have gone through unimaginable events leading to the death of dearly loved family members. I see them with this book; a guide leading them through the unbearable emotions, the grief of a planned future lost, and the strain of gaining the courage to be able to move on. The days that lie ahead of them can have hope through this guide as it contains scripture and insights into God’s promises, care and love for them, and speaks directly to the emotions they are working through.

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

We all experience suffering and loss and we think we cannot move through. This devotional book will accompany us pass through this very unpleasant journey of our life. With Mattie Jackson help us with his hope from his book.

Here's a companion for the year - or if you skip days here and there - for the whole season of grieving. you can feel the emotions and spiritual progress on each page, written by someone who has experienced the deepest sorrow and the process of restoration and healing.

"The book I wish I had," writes the author, who lost her husband a year into marriage. There are 4 kinds of devotions: wait (lament); connect (a defense against utter withdrawal); worship (honesty in offering praise from the heart); and hope (peace in the storms that follow a loss).
Each day offers a scripture, a short devotional, and a question to help you consider what you are experiencing. It's a hopeful and compassionate journey from devastation to acceptance. Highly recommended after closure of many kinds - loss of relationships, persons, jobs, and other expectations.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Man have so many of us gone through long seasons of grief. Reading the author's intro you learn that she has gone through more grief than a human can often withstand.
I love that she chooses devotions with 4 main focuses: worship, connect, hope and wail. These are all important actions while working through major grief. This book will definitely be a blessing to many