Even If He Doesn't: What We Believe about God When Life Doesn't Make Sense

By Kristen LaValley

Book Overview

How can I approach God if I'm struggling to believe in His goodness?

So much of our belief can be formulaic. We often think that if we do A, B, and C, then God will do X, Y, and Z. We check things off the "Good Christian Checklist," trusting we'll be okay, and our trials will be minimal. But when our experiences inevitably deviate from that belief, our trust in God often crumbles. After a series of life-altering trials--including a devastating diagnosis--uncovering faith in the cracks of pain is something Kristen LaValley knows well.

In Even If He Doesn't, Kristen will: share her vulnerable and honest storyunpack the nuances of suffering and faith, holding space for the tension between the tworeveal how engaging the gentleness and grace of Christ in our suffering offers a surprising path to healingremind us that when our belief is reduced to a formula, we rob ourselves of a faith that's enriched by suffering, not crippled by itThose in the midst of heartache will find strength and renewal as Kristen approaches the complexity of suffering with compassion, guiding us to endure while not forsaking the joy, hope, and peace of those marked by Jesus.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1496478525
• ISBN13: 9781496478528
• Release Date: February 2024
• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Helpful and healing

Christian rhetoric around suffering has too often been unhelpful at best or extremely damaging at worst - this book was a balm for the soul. Kristen starts by saying she hopes it feels like a coffee chat between friends where we can “[wrap] ourselves in a warm blanket of comfort for our spirits.” This is exactly what this book felt like from beginning to end (especially listening to her read it on the audiobook version). Kristen’s humility, quiet strength, and vulnerability is inspiring and life-giving. Kristen’s primary anecdote that is woven through it is her crisis pregnancy from spring of 2021. I remembering following along on instagram as it was happening; I was going through a miscarriage at that same time. Her response that spring was personally helpful to me at the time, and her reflections in the book about trauma and tragedy and God’s character through it all was incredibly healing, even years later. This book is for everyone - those who have walked or are walking through suffering themselves or someone they know is. Whether the prayer was answered how you hoped it would be or not.

A book that is like a warm drink on a dreary day with a good friend.

This book made me laugh and cry and gripped my heart. Kristen LaValley has a way of relating and walking through pain and trauma that is honest and brings clarity and comfort.

Redefining relating to suffering and trauma

This book! The author comes alongside us, shares the traumas she’s gone through, unpacks truths she’s learned. LEANS INTO NOT understanding some of it and embraces that (AND YOU) and then peels back bad theology and helps you shift into a more truthful one. She never panders, and is decidedly lacking of the typical Christian condescension most books on this topic ooze with. An absolutely refreshing read. Oh, and… if your an audio book listener, she recorded it in her voice, which is soothing and authentic. Definitely recommend and I stopped reading Christian lit a long while back. If I could give more than 5 stars….