This book, Relentless, has been the most impactful book I have read in 2019. There are so many deep truths in this book. Michele deals with the thorny problem of simplistic faith—if we obey God, He will bless us. Until He doesn’t. What then? When we experience “a terminal disease, a chronic illness, the loss of a child, or the irreparable severing of a relationship, suffering brings with it an otherness.”
As many of us did, Michele grew up hearing the verse, “A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). This verse contains truth, but needs to be balanced with the rest of Scripture to protect us from developing a fear-based obedience that can destroy an intimate relationship with God.
“Sometimes the math doesn’t work, and no one can explain why it doesn’t. … This is what happened to John the Baptist. … And in the dark basement of his dungeon, John’s white-hot faith flickered. … Am I being punished? … Did I misread the signs? … John had a need, and Jesus ignored it or, at the least, didn’t do anything about it.”
Michelle vulnerably shares deep questions that those who suffer ask, such as: “Can I huddle in John’s prison and still believe the Jesus I’ve always known?” and “Can I celebrate His obvious miracles even while mourning the lack of my own?”
She writes to our natural desire to believe that we can prevent and avoid disease, disaster, and tragedy, but sometimes our imbalanced motives can add to the pain of those who are suffering. She poignantly shares about receiving an eight-page letter from a stranger detailing how she could cure herself of cancer if she would only do certain things, avoid other things … and believe more. She says, “Behind the sender’s pretense of help sits a poisonous implication: my suffering is my fault.”
“But God never made that guarantee. Jesus says quite the opposite: ‘In this world you will have trouble’ (John 16:33).”
I still remember the day Michele stopped in the middle of a conference to listen, to hear, to hold hands, and shutting out all the people around us, to pray for me. I felt God’s Presence descend on us in that moment. She is the real deal.
From someone in the trenches, Michele passes the comfort she has received on to us through the gift of this book. Through it, she draws us to Jesus, who “touches us at the place of our pain over and over again with hands familiar with both suffering and healing.”
May we all pass on the comfort we’ve received to another and learn better how to be inclusive to those who are suffering. We can learn much from them. #RelentlessBook
Wow…I may need to read it! Working with a group of Chronically ill/ pain ladies at church. Speaking at my church this weekend about flourishing in the midst of aterminal illness, etc. 💜
Oh, Michele’s book would be so helpful for your group, Kathy. Bless you for reaching out to people with chronic illness/pain. You are certainly sharing the comfort that God has given you with others. I’ll pray for your speaking this weekend!