I am reading this book finally. It came highly recommended by a few of you.

 

It is a good book and I know I will have to read it more than once.

 

Reading though is very painful for me.

 

I’ve read books about people’s struggles and think how sad it sounds. I can sympathize and feel that it must have been hard.

 

This book though echoes much of what I’ve gone through. When she describes her feelings and struggles and pain, I know exactly what she’s talking about.

Not because I can sympathize, but because I KNOW.

 

Much of the book makes me hurt physically to read. It is taking me back some of the worst times of our story.

 

It’s good. It’s real. It hurts to read it.

 

I don’t know if it hurts because I’ve lived it or because I wish no one else had to live it.

**After I turned off the computer last night, I realized I didn’t tell you what the book was about.

Carol Kent’s son murdered his wife’s ex-husband. It is her story of their grief, her son in prison, and God working in their life.

Many things she says just touch such a sensitive spot in me. Many things that God showed her, he also showed me.

Some points I found myself shaking my head “yes.” Like when she said she doesn’t want to hear one more person tell her that maybe this is God’s ministry for her son to witness to those in prison with him.

I had to laugh actually. While I’m so proud of Lee for all the change and growth and for the way he witnesses to others, I feel the same way. I don’t want to hear that is his ministry now.

Her story will of course not be the same as mine. She’s a mom, I’m a wife. My hurts and grief are different in that my husband and I are one.

Still I’m finding great nuggets in it.

One thing I liked was she called those who support her her stretcher bearers. It’s referring to those who brought their friend to Jesus to be healed. They carried his stretcher and found a creative way to get him healed.

She said one person told her that he couldn’t carry the stretcher but he could surely carry the band-aids.

I’ve said that before that maybe you can’t do huge things in a hurting person’s life, but you can do the things that you are able to do. As you know, band-aids are very important.

Nothing “little” that has been done for me, feels little to me. It’s salve on my wounds.

Thank you to those of you that help bear my stretcher! Your support and prayers makes such a profound impact on the lives of all 3 of us.

 

They have an outreach ministry to prisons. Speak up for Hope.

 

 

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