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Blogs by Holly Weiss
A Review of A Place of Healing by Joni Eareckson Tada
3/3/2011 4:48:26 PM
Why does God allow pain? Is God concerned with suffering and involved in it? Plato, C.S. Lewis, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Henri Nouwen, the apostle Paul and others have all addressed these age-old questions.
Instead of focusing on how God is involved in the problem of pain, Joni Eareckson Tada chooses instead in her book, A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain and God’s Sovereignty, to examine how God can use pain to draw her closer to Himself and lift her above her human sufferings.
Joni, left a quadriplegic from a diving accident four decades ago, is the author of over fifty books and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization devoted to accelerating Christian outreach among those with disabilities. She will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the 2011 National Day of Prayer, held on the First Thursday of May. In addition to coping with the struggles of living from a wheelchair, Joni now has new challenges. She is assaulted with unrelenting, chronic pain and has been diagnosed with cancer.
Her reactions? “Suffering may be a part of God’s…mysterious plan, but God’s intention is always to demonstrate compassion and unfailing love.” Joni illustrates over and over in her book how powerfully God’s love touches her at her deepest point of need.
Her chapter headings ask difficult questions:
• What Benefit is there to My Pain?
• How Can I Go On Like This?
• How Can I Bring Him Glory?
• How Do I Regain My Perspective?
This devout, genuine woman answers each question with tender, heartfelt examples from her walk in faith. Suffering can make us bitter or compassionate. Suffering can drive us away from God or make us fly into His arms. A Place of Healing is her testament to the restorative power of loving, committed service to God, no matter what our circumstances. She rejoices in the fact that God had plans for her life much wider, higher and more profound than she ever could imagine. Her last chapter entitled, “Thank you, God, for this Wheelchair” demonstrates that because of her circumstances, not in spite of them, she is happier as a child of God than she ever dreamed possible.
Do you have a friend or relative struggling with grief, financial loss, health issues or physical pain?
Give them a copy of A Place of Healing. May they find comfort in the profound testimony of someone who treads where they walk, albeit, in a wheelchair.
Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont
http://www.hollyweiss.com
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More Blogs by Holly Weiss
• A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner: A Review - Wednesday, October 05, 2011
• Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks: A Review - Thursday, June 09, 2011
• The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan: A Review - Thursday, June 09, 2011
• The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon: A Review - Saturday, June 04, 2011
• Elizabeth I by Margaret George - Friday, April 08, 2011
• A Review of A Place of Healing by Joni Eareckson Tada - Thursday, March 03, 2011
• The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards: A Revie - Friday, February 25, 2011
• A Review of The Other Life by Ellen Meister - Friday, February 25, 2011
• A Review of Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton - Monday, January 10, 2011
• Crestmont review by Russian Winter author - Thursday, November 25, 2010
• Do You Need a Vacation? - Sunday, October 24, 2010
• “Sojourns of Journalist a Metaphor for Spiritual Journey of Believer” - Thursday, October 21, 2010
• Sharing with Writers - Tuesday, September 21, 2010
• Pacific Book Review Loves Crestmont - Friday, September 10, 2010
• Should A Christian Novel Be Advertised as Overtly Christian? - Friday, August 27, 2010
• Whirlwind book signings - Friday, July 09, 2010
• Meeting My Characters in Real Life - Thursday, July 01, 2010
• An Insightful Reviewer - Friday, June 25, 2010
• Lover Of Historic Inns - Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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