God Loves Broken People

By Sheila Walsh
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: March 13, 2012
Price: $21.99
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400202450
ISBN-13: 978-1400202454
Purchase:  Amazon | CBD | Barnes and Noble

Description

God loves broken people. And when weary, wounded men and women find a way to open their bruised hearts and somehow welcome Him into their personal darkness, they will find a love beyond anything they have ever known.

When the glass house Sheila had lived in for so many years came crashing to the ground, she began a new life outside the safety of those walls. No, it didn’t feel good or safe — not at all. But it felt true. Sheila saw herself as a broken lamb limping after the Shepherd, not knowing where He was going, but knowing that wherever He went, she wanted to go with Him.

In twelve stirring, and deeply revealing chapters, Sheila Walsh shows how personal brokenness can open doors of intimacy with Jesus Christ that might never open in any other way. It’s not that God loves broken people more than those who imagine themselves to be whole — it’s simply that they know they are loved. They dare to believe it… and through such trust, a new wholeness emerges from yesterday’s broken pieces.

Review

Several months ago, I heard Sheila Walsh speak for the first time on a Focus on the Family broadcast. I had heard of her, but didn’t know much about her. This particular day, I was home sick and laying in bed depressed. I decided to turn on the radio to 570 AM for some encouragement. Sheila Walsh was introduced and began to speak about her life. I felt as if she was speaking directly to me. The Holy Spirit was using her to minister to me in a deep way so that I found myself in tears. She left such an impression that when I saw God Loves Broken People (And Those Who Pretend They’re Not) I knew I wanted to read and review it.

Sheila Walsh is an eloquent speaker. She is also a wonderful storyteller and Bible teacher. I appreciated her honesty and transparency in her writing. There is no fluff, Sheila Walsh tells it like it is. She also writes with a heart of compassion and love for people which is revealed on every page of this book.

I identified and resonated with what she wrote on page 45:

“God isn’t some cosmic jukebox in the sky, from which, so long as you have the right coin, you get to pick the soundtrack for your life. Those who peddle a health-and-wealth message have wounded uncounted thousands who are left reeling with only one conclusion: The reason that my child died, or that my marriage failed, or that we lost our house… is because I didn’t have enough faith.

‘That is beyond cruel; it is blaphemous. Christ never promised an easy path. He never said there would be roses with no thorns, or seasons without winter, or pathways without obstacles. In fact it is quite the opposite.”

This was comforting for me to read. For years I felt condemned by Christians because they would judge me for being depressed. They would accuse me of lacking faith because I was hurting and struggling with depression. I’m so glad I no longer believe those lies.

Sheila Walsh addresses these misconceptions and more in God Loves Broken People. She also touches upon the hard questions we wrestle with as believers. Those questions we are afraid to ask others or even talk to God about. This book gave me encouragement and hope. If you are hurting, depressed, struggling, suffering or wondering why bad things happen, I highly recommend God Loves Broken People.

In conclusion, I want to thank BookSneeze for blessing me with a complimentary copy of this book to read and review.

Author

Sheila Walsh, Women of Faith® speaker, is the author of the award-winning Gigi, God’s Little Princess® series, The Shelter of God’s Promises, and a new novel, Sweet Sanctuary. Sheila lives in Texas with her husband, Barry, and son Christian.