by Gwendolyn M Plano
My eldest son and his family visited us recently. His youngest did not feel well, but she summoned energy enough for all of us—running about the house and yard, squealing with delight at Silver Dollar City and a local indoor swimming pool. When they left, I found myself longing for the hugs and sounds of doors opening/closing. And then I realized that my sweet granddaughter had left me a gift—one that would keep me in bed for a few days. And what a gift it was!
Stacked on my nightstand are books waiting for me to read. With all the best intentions, I imagine that I will find the time to read their lofty pages, but all too often at the end of day, the books remain unopened. Because of my granddaughter’s gift, though, I had ample time.
Kara Tippetts’ book, The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life’s Hard, was my first read…and what a powerful book it was. Kara wrote from her heart and through her heart about her battle with metastasized breast cancer, a battle she eventually lost.
Readers walk with her as sorrow grips her heart and questions threaten her faith. And, when she finds acceptance, we struggle to do the same. Kara’s journey was not a solitary one, for her husband and four young children accompanied her, as well as so many family members and friends. Posthumously, I joined her as well, until her family’s pain became very personal.
Life can be so hard.
At one point Kara writes:
Cancer is a gift. There, I said it. I can say that cancer and suffering give the beautiful gift of perspective. It’s the gift wrapped in confusion and brokenness and heartbreak. It’s the gift that strips all your other ideas of living from you completely. The beautiful, ugly raising to the surface of the importance of each and every moment.
A gift? A gift of perspective?
Sometimes I could not read more than a few pages at a time, because it seemed my heart would break—for Kara and for all of us. Tragedy spares no one; it just courts each of us differently. For Kara it was cancer; for you it may be a crippling disease. One way or another, tragedy finds a path into our hearts, and there we do battle with the intruder.
For those who are struggling to make sense of their sorrow, I strongly recommend The Hardest Peace. It will draw you into your own heart, and there you may find waiting for you – the Perfect Love we all seek.
Stacked on my nightstand are books waiting for me to read. With all the best intentions, I imagine that I will find the time to read their lofty pages, but all too often at the end of day, the books remain unopened. Because of my granddaughter’s gift, though, I had ample time.
Kara Tippetts’ book, The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life’s Hard, was my first read…and what a powerful book it was. Kara wrote from her heart and through her heart about her battle with metastasized breast cancer, a battle she eventually lost.
Readers walk with her as sorrow grips her heart and questions threaten her faith. And, when she finds acceptance, we struggle to do the same. Kara’s journey was not a solitary one, for her husband and four young children accompanied her, as well as so many family members and friends. Posthumously, I joined her as well, until her family’s pain became very personal.
Life can be so hard.
At one point Kara writes:
Cancer is a gift. There, I said it. I can say that cancer and suffering give the beautiful gift of perspective. It’s the gift wrapped in confusion and brokenness and heartbreak. It’s the gift that strips all your other ideas of living from you completely. The beautiful, ugly raising to the surface of the importance of each and every moment.
A gift? A gift of perspective?
Sometimes I could not read more than a few pages at a time, because it seemed my heart would break—for Kara and for all of us. Tragedy spares no one; it just courts each of us differently. For Kara it was cancer; for you it may be a crippling disease. One way or another, tragedy finds a path into our hearts, and there we do battle with the intruder.
For those who are struggling to make sense of their sorrow, I strongly recommend The Hardest Peace. It will draw you into your own heart, and there you may find waiting for you – the Perfect Love we all seek.
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