When God Says "No"

I feel like I need to tell you a little bit about me to give a preface to how I approach reading books. I love to read books cover to cover, about the author, their preface, intro, etc. Some books I greatly enjoy and read once but keep just to have on my bookshelf, some I need to revisit as I continue to grow, and some take me a while as I need to process things deeply. I like to read a book in its entirety before recommending to someone or giving it go someone. I'm also a pretty serious person, not a jokey-joke type person, so I put God in a box of being the same way, and I have to work very hard to think of Him outside that box! I have read a few of the author's other novels and found them helpful. One of her taglines on her website states "holiness with a side of humor," which I was reluctant about but gave it a shot. With all that being said, I will be re-reading When God Says No at many junctions in my life. I will be telling everyone to read it, right along with their Bible, as it really is relevant to anyone who follows God to have in their resources. I like the author's woven tapestry - she weaves in her personal stories with Biblical scriptures, including her take on some occurrences of famous Bible characters such as Paul and Naaman. I like that she shows how she sees God as well as some of my personal Bible heroes as lighthearted. It's good to push my limits. I also like how conversational it reads - as if I'm sitting right next to the author in the coffee shop or on her couch. My favorite chapter has to be chapter 3 - I wear my heart on my sleeve, but never thought that there are people who have challenges with being vulnerable. This chapter was so refreshing in that sense of comforting all of us who have to ask from help from others and feel a temporary lack of independence during some tough transitions.

Reading this book was like sitting down with a good friend for a heart-to-heart over coffee. The author has a way of taking familiar bible stories and characters and bringing them to life. This helps me see my story in their story. The book is an easy read, but each chapter has pearls of wisdom which have changed my perspective abouthow I thought about God and how God thinks about me during my seasons of "no". I had so many "aha" moments while reading this book. There have been times that I have misunderstood the heart of God. He is not angry or punishingme. God's heart breaks for me and with me when I am hurting. Also, when I can't rejoice in life, I can still rejoice in who God is and how much He loves me. Elizabeth Laing Thompson writes as one who has walked this road, grappled with all the feelings and hard questions and came out on the other side closer to God. The personal stories shared throughout the book helped me see that there is hope on the other side of "no". God is still working and my story isn't over. This book was an encouragement to me. If you or someone you know is going through a season of "no" pick up a copy... reading it will encourage your soul.

This book takes a vignette from a Bible story and brings an application to our lives today (disappointment, bitterness, etc). The chapter with the application ends with a prayer and journal prompt. One takeaway that I enjoyed from this book is that I often remember the heroes of faith for their walk with God but do not always remember that they were also told no by God. I think of Moses and his walk with God and then he was told that he could not entered the Promised Land. A verse that I always enjoy in Scripture is "My power is made complete in weakness". The author reminded me that everyone always wants the miracle but they often do not want the crisis that precedes it. This book gave me many things to think about and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to Barbour Publishing for a copy of the book. This is my honest review.