I had the privilege of receiving an advance copy of this new book by Pastor Chad Veach  “Unreasonable Hope” I knew the moment I learned about his story and sweet Georgia, that I would connect on many levels.

The day it arrived I was so excited to open it and dive in… and then my heart didn’t quite feel the same. The book is raw and honest.

There has been so much pain in the past 3-4 years with our oldest daughter and my world fell apart and even questioned where God could be so silent when tragedy struck my brother and his wife. My brother and his wife lost their first child in January 2015. Depending how long you have been reading or following along you know our story well. Norah Louise was born 25 weeks prematurely and fought strong like a mighty princess warrior for 146 days. At the same time I was driving back and forth to Oklahoma praying and aching for them, I was fighting a battle at home with our daughter. Thinking the whole time God is Sovereign. And searching for the purpose in it all. My daughter turned 17 the day sweet Norah would go to be Jesus. That single day was one of the hardest I had to fight through Joy and Sorrow.

“God is not afraid of our vulnerability. He is not afraid when we come to him with our transparency laying down all of our pain before him to work out.”  He saw my every tear in the floor of my closet that day. He heard my every cry.

I have been walking the hard road for so long for my daughter, that I knew this book could strengthen and renew my spirit, which it did!! We all endure trials, even those of us who are so close to God. It’s that closeness, that faith, that trust in His Sovereignty that determines if trials look like defeat or if we can take the equipment we’ve been given along the way to climb up that mountain no matter how long or high the climb.

I do have a Big God and have Big Faith.  I believe it’s moment by moment choice to choose Faith over Defeat.  And I haven’t always been that strong… but those brief moments on the top of the mountain he let’s see. They strengthen so deep.  They enable us to see Him when we are brought back down on our knees.

I love how he shares the story of Peter in the boat {Matthew 8:24}. You know the raging storm & Jesus is asleep in the boat. {Be sure not to miss that point. Jesus is asleep.} But we can find a little of Peter is in all of us. How often do we feel like we’re protected because we are walking & talking with Jesus throughout our days? Then a storm hits,big or small is not the question. Our response is the question. Instead of trusting in all that we have been brought through to take us through this too, we are screaming “Wake up Jesus and Save Me, I’m going to die!!” …. and the Oscar goes to???  I’ve got a few medals that are far from badges of honor in this category. Looking back I can see he was carrying me all along, but quick to forget when we get smack in the middle of a panic and face something bigger than our faith we had built up. 

He writes to remind us that “just because Jesus is with you doesn’t mean you’re free from trials. Storms will happen when you know and love God.” “Fear happens when we leave our minds empty. This is where the devil, evil thoughts, panic, and confusion take over. The enemy has a free playground upon which to roam and do as he pleases.” “Our human response, when everything hits the fan is typically to forget who we have in our boat with us.”

He writes in the book very clearly, this isn’t a self-help book. All the answers are not in this book to help you answer how you walk through the bad and tragic and come out unscathed. Or even a book about why bad things happen to good people- Chad Veach is a Pastor. His daughter has a rare brain disease that is causing tremendous amounts of seizures and life as they know it looked nothing like the books of parenting your first year. He walks through all of their emotions good and bad, all their successes and failures. “It’s a book about the provider, the protector, and the one who is with us in the midst of the storm. It’s about Jesus, the one God wants to point people to. Despite pain and circumstances, God will find a way to reveal his son to us. Sometimes he will even use tragedy to show us how he can triumph.”

It’s a reminder, in this temporary life to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.  We need to fill every blank space with things that are pure, holy, lovely, and honoring to God.  {Phil 4:8}

SO THAT – when we face the trials, {we know that are coming} we are not living like a weary one that is waiting for tragedy around the corner. BUT We are living ready to Praise Him on the good that He has brought through all our trials. We need to be so wrapped in His love and in His Word, so we can do exactly as he tells us… The Holy Spirit that is indwelt within us helps us recall and reminds us miracle after miracle of the provision He has given. Even more practical, He reminds us of those victories we have experienced through Him in our own story. He is always with us and He is Able!!  We don’t need to be cursing or blaming others but finding our strength and hope in the One who can provide. Who can Heal. Who can guide us and take our hands and be the Hope and Courage we need!!

Chad says this book is, “It’s not to answer why God lets us suffer. Rather, it’s to offer hope, however unreasonable may seem, and to point you to the One who comforts.”

This book was a great reminder to Love Like Jesus!! “The truth is that life isn’t about comparing how much worse our pain or situation is from another. Rather, it’s about standing alongside others as they experience life’s ups and downs. Pain is relative, Jesus is a reality.”

Community of people with a matching faith is so important. When we faced trial early in our marriage we were blessed with a very strong, loving community of believers. Our recent trials felt very lonely.  It’s hard to walk alongside things we cannot relate to, we think are messy, and risky to know just what to do. I want to encourage you today that you need not to be afraid. We have an indwelt love so big given to us that will guide and speak for you. You are just called to be obedient. To listen to the nudge. No one’s life is perfect, no one’s life is too messy to not get over ourselves and love. Give grace like we’ve been given we didn’t deserve. Love. It’s our most important commandment. We miss blessings daily because we are afraid to reach out to those who need a bit of hope and love.  He will be all you need to extend the same He has given to you. Trust.  Be blessed in doing so.  Sometimes it just looks like holding their hand as they cry, being there. Present in the time of need.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and your neighbors as yourself.” -Luke 10:27

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”- Isaiah 55:9

Chad wrote, “When you’ve gone through something tragic and have seen God come and stand beside you, all you want to do is do the same for others.”

I felt like I wrote this sentence that he shared- it’s been on my heart for so many years. My story has so many facets that I am a walking poster child for victory through Jesus, even when I didn’t know He loved me. He has been after me my whole life. And when a friend looks at you and tells you- “You are so different, you live on the complete opposite side of where I stand.” Because I do live on the abundant side of Grace and Love that God has for me and my life. I will find the rainbow in every trial over fearing the next.

I will stand next to my 17 year old and be the lifelike version of a Jesus who will encourage and cheer her on through “yet another” battle. I will help her see the image of who she truly is in His eyes. I will help her pull up out of the deepest valley every time!! God is Real. Lover of our souls and healer of our hearts. I will help her find her Unreasonable Hope in a God who will never leave nor forsake her. Who’s Word and Love is never changing no matter the scars she bears. She is engraved in the palm of His hands.  I will help shoulder the burdens when she is weighed down by the life she stands and fights. I will help her fight for her full measure of abundant life that he has planned and purposed her to live. I will time after time, point her to Jesus.  I will be what she can see so that she can have faith in the One who gives it to me to give to her- that she cannot see.  It’s all to help her have a relationship with the one who loves her and will heal her every pain.

There is so much more than I have written about here in this book.  He is a wonderful writer.  He brings such imagery of the bible into the book, and even though at times it is heart-wrenching, there is also plenty that will make you smile and laugh. You will feel the hope that he and his wife Julia have. You will see and feel the love for their amazing little girl.  You will relate on a level beyond what you expected. Especially the story of sitting in a restaurant and seeing what your daughter “could or should be doing at her age level appropriate.” That’s an experience for us daily with our sweet Mia. Speech delay is immense, but I don’t live in that world anywhere outside of our house. I often forget. That little nugget hit home. We are all so much more alike than we know, look at others through the lens of grace.

Bless yourself today and get your copy!! Find your Hope. Find your Faith. Renew it and strengthen it!! Take moments to close it and laugh, or cry, but mostly recall the mighty faithful God that we serve!! He doesn’t believe in lost causes- so don’t believe for one minute it’s too late!!

Praise God this life is temporary, live it abundantly in the time we have, and rest in Jesus until the day we stand before Him.

Oh Sweet Jesus, let me be found faithful!!