God’s Extravagant Grace for Extraordinary Grief: Devotions From the Refiner’s Fire by Lettie K. Whisman. Derek Press, 2018.
Sorrow and suffering can be the crucible for experiencing God’s grace in unusual ways. Drawing from her own experiences of grief, Lettie K. Whisman has penned “God’s Extravagant Grace for Extraordinary Grief,” which is part memoir and part devotional written to encourage and uplift others walking through the darkest valleys of life.
Though it is a slim volume, it is packed with wisdom and hope. The book consists of 32 short chapters that explore issues of grief, reasons for hope, the experience of God’s grace and the importance of receiving and giving mercy. Whisman is a Baptist Christian who lives in Tennessee and has written several books and articles. She has also taught classes for writers through Lifeway Christian Resources and other organizations.
Whisman’s story involves the deaths of two husbands (one to cancer and one to a stroke), a grown daughter and other close relatives. She also reflects on the impact of divorce and spiritual failures and other situations that bring extreme pain into people’s lives. The chapters are easy to understand, although they often touch on very difficult issues.
She writes with the sensitivity of someone who has walked a difficult journey and seeks to assist those following a similar path. I appreciated her realism that God allows grief to come at times with no explanation or obvious reason. “Sometimes God’s ways are an absolute mystery … as well as incomprehensible. … There will be seasons in our walk with God that cannot be understood or explained. … Our faith will be tested, and we will be forced to rest in the anchor of His Word.”
Whisman frequently quotes Scripture and relates God’s promises and truth to the life of one who is struggling. She shows the benefits of taking the lessons learned through hardship and using them as a basis to minister to others. She also stresses the value of having the love and prayer support of other believers and a church family when going through times of crisis and heartbreak. This is a book that will encourage and reassure, a book to be read and to be shared with others.
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