Even If Not (The Shaken and the Still)

By Rev Gregory C Smith PhD

Ethan Holt is no longer praying for miracles. After nearly losing his son Jonah to a terminal illness, Ethan has come through the storm with a quieter faith--one born not of certainty, but of survival. Jonah is stable. Life is steady. And for the first time in a long time, Ethan can breathe. But when a small group Bible study introduces Jesus' most difficult teachings--forgive those who hurt you, love your enemies, deny yourself--Ethan finds himself in new territory. He believed in God through the fire. Now he must learn what it means to follow Him through the ordinary. As Jonah expresses a desire to reconnect with the estranged grandfather who abandoned them, Ethan's past wounds resurface. When a local ministry challenges him to open his home to a family in crisis, his comfort and control are tested. And when old grudges, new conflicts, and a divided church community stretch his patience, Ethan must decide whether his faith is just belief--or actual surrender. Meanwhile, Jonah's health begins to shift again. Not with the urgency of before, but with the slow, quiet reality that time may still be limited. And this time, Ethan isn't praying for a rescue. He's praying for the strength to live each day in love. Even If Not is the emotionally resonant sequel to Help My Unbelief, a story of faith forged in fire and lived in tension. It's about trusting when there are no guarantees, forgiving when it's costly, and believing when the outcome remains unknown. It's not about having the answers. It's about saying yes to Jesus--even if not.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F66ZD5Z6
• ISBN13: 9798281177528
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 453 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"