Author Margaret Brownley stopped writing when her oldest son died after a lengthy illness. Three years later she sat down to write Grieving God’s Way: The Path to Lasting Hope and Healing--and I’m so glad she did. Each day of this 90-day devotional includes a Bible verse, a reflection on the day’s topic, a haiku by poet Diantha Ain, and a practical tip on recovery called “Healing Ways”.
This is the sort of book that a writer can’t fake and Brownley doesn't offer generic platitudes or "feel good" thoughts. Brownley digs deep, drawing from her own personal experience and from that of other other authors, artists, doctors, therapists, and friends. She make a distinction between “Man’s Way” of grieving (hurried, busy, numbing, alone) and “God’s Way” (healing, healthy, faith-filled, in community). She addresses the different ways men and women grieve, children’s grief, journaling, waiting, remembering, prayer, and asking for help.
I find that, though I’m not currently in a time of mourning, this book is useful for personal reflection. Not only would it be a helpful guide for someone who is grieving, it would be useful for someone who has a grieving friend or family member. I would recommend it for individual or small group use. There’s even a website (http://www.grievinggodsway.com/) where you can find additional resources mentioned in the book or request a free copy of a related workbook. You can also purchase materials for a church or small group study. The Grieving God’s Way website includes a printable poster of “Rules for Family Healing” that can be printed (Adobe Reader) from the Resources page.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program in return for an honest review.
