Follow The Cross

Recovering Hope by Marion Ueckermann is such a powerful Christian contemporary read that will shoot your emotions to pieces. It is part of the Potter’s House series and book two in the Shaped By Love series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Marion Ueckermann always writes tales about real issues that affect us all. Recovering Hope is no exception. Marion Ueckermann deals with the difficult topics of stillbirth, depression and suicidal tendencies. These themes are all sensitively but realistically presented. Depression can strike at any time. Sometimes there is a trigger but it may also be due to a chemical imbalance. I am sure we all know someone who has suffered from depression or maybe we have. The important thing is to get help, talk and take the medicine. Do not suffer in silence.

Knowing God can get us through tough times if we keep our eyes fixed on Him. “The tightrope of trusting God or turning his back on Him.” But what happens if in our pain and anger we walk away from God? “He could have prevented it… so why hadn’t He?” The reader’s heart breaks. We ‘feel’ the pain. Some questions will never be answered this side of eternity. We have to hang on and trust that God is good. As with Job, we need to say ‘the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In times of tragedy, we may be unable to pray. We need others to stand in the gap and pray for us.

Satan loves to kick us when we are down. We need to arm ourselves with the Word of God and listen to what God says over our lives. “He refused to believe the lies Satan whispered in his ear. He would believe God’s Word.”

Parallels are drawn with the natural world. God uses all sorts of things to ‘speak’ to us.

Tragedies either draw us together or push us apart. We need prayer networks. We need the local church. If ever we feel we cannot face going to church, that is the very time we need to go. We are stronger together. Isolated, Satan will pick us off one by one. If all we can do is cry, then let the tears flow. We need to be real with God and with our fellow believers.

I cannot praise Recovering Hope highly enough. Marion Ueckermann writes ‘real’ stories about ‘real’ issues that affect ‘real’ people. She doesn’t shy away from hard hitting topics. Life is hard and tough and there are times when we can see no way through. We need to focus on the cross because there really is nowhere else to go. If we focus on ourselves, we will crumble. We have to trust that God is good, even in the dark times.

Thank you Marion Ueckermann for another powerful read.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON