If you are looking for one more book to read this year, put It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way on your shortlist. I’ve read over 100 books this year, and this book definitely makes my top ten, and it might even crack the top three. I’m prepping a Top 10 Books of 2018 post, and you can subscribe in the pink box to stay informed!
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way
I had the distinct privilege of meeting Lysa TerKeurst in person at She Speaks 2018. I am blessed to serve as a proofreader for the Encouragement for Today devotionals, and I met Lysa at a special breakfast they had for the volunteer team.
Wish I had snapped a photo with her, but I was a little starstruck by this woman I deeply respect! She has the most beautiful green eyes, so full of God’s peace.
Here is a photo of me with several Proverbs 31 Ministries authors and volunteers who attended the breakfast. Such a blessing to serve with these talented Christ-followers!
I also attended Lysa’s amazing session on handling the critics, and the lesson still stands out in my mind months later. Her keynote sessions were powerful, and now I realize she was introducing some key concepts of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way in those talks this past July.
Lysa has endured some A-level struggles, especially in the past few years. Examples: an unexpected divorce, a life-threatening health scare, and breast cancer, all back-to-back. She takes us behind the scenes in some of these terrible trials in It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. You will gain great insight into your own struggles through Lysa’s book.
Practical Takeaways from It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way
Warning: this book is not a breeze to read. I have cried through two tissues per chapter. Yet I keep going back because I’m searching for healing from my deepest disappointments, and Lysa’s words are speaking hope and life into my grief.
Whether you’re dealing with little disappointments or devastating heartbreaks, this book will help you honestly deal with your pain before God.
I love that Lysa doesn’t sugarcoat anything. She tells it exactly like it is: messy, conflicting and tough to face. This book is like a good ugly cry with your most trusted, God-following girlfriend. You may not have fixed the problem after your talk, but you feel uplifted and stronger afterward.
She uses interesting metaphors to get her points across. You’ll never look at dust, tan feet, or the Garden of Eden in the same way after reading It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. And you’ll be better for it–I promise.
Favorite Quotes from It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way
Lysa is a master at crafting statements that stick. These are the ones replaying in my mind, helping me find joy despite my trials:
- Sometimes to get your life back, you have to face the death of what you thought your life would look like.
- Disappointment isn’t proof that God is withholding good things from us. Sometimes it’s His way of leading us Home.
- God isn’t ever going to forsake you, but He will go to great lengths to remake you.
- What if disappointment is really the exact appointment your soul needs to radically encounter God?
- People need to know God’s compassion is alive and well and winning the epic battle of good versus evil.
- The restoration that is impossible with man’s limitations is always possible for a limitless God.
You’ll find many other powerful quotes and takeaways from this book. I think it is my all-time favorite of Lysa’s books, and I will return to it again and again in my season of grieving a living death.
Proverbs 31 Ministries will use It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way as their online Bible study beginning in January 2019. Get a jumpstart on the book by reading it now and then savoring its truths again in the OBS. I truly enjoy the way Proverbs 31 Ministries leads their online Bible studies with powerful application, excellent videos, and fun giveaways. Sign up for the online study here.
Powerful healing from life's deepest disappointments in It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, a new book by @LysaTerKeurst. Click To TweetI bought my own copy of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way from Lifeway on Black Friday–so glad that I did!
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