Book Review: Hope for Your Heart

I hadn’t planned on making a book review my first post back from my unintentional holiday, but here it is.  This book can be a real resource for those of us in pain.  This review was written for LibraryThing.com as part of an agreement I have with their Early Reviewers Program.  If it is not available now, it should be anywhere that sells Crossway books soon.

Hope for Your Heart: Finding Strength in Life’s Storms by June Hunt

I did not have very high hopes for this book because hope is one of those words that seems almost impossible to describe on its own. June Hunt has proven me wrong! I found her writing to be completely engaging, informative, and imaginative. Hunt uses anchors as a metaphor for hope and then goes into a deep study of the types and use of anchors; showing each anchor as a particular level of hope. In this book you will find theology, history, story-telling, nautical lessons, and one of the best examinations of hope I have ever come across. A great "how-to" for anyone who needs to grab onto the True anchor and have hope for the future. The book is broken into three major categories; the Reasons of hope, the Sources of hope, and the Benefits of hope, reminding us that this hope is Guaranteed. Using Scripture, hymns, personal experience (her own and from her radio show, which I have not heard), and other stories to bring out these three concepts of this otherwise ethereal word "hope". Hunt also uses this opportunity to go over forgiveness and reconciliation, showing how to have hope in securing a potential mend for a broken relationship.

One of the reasons I believe I was so blown away by this book is because I have been physically disabled for the past six years from an injury to my back. During this time, I have met many men who are ill or injured and they have told me of their lack of hope. Hope for Your Heart gives "real meat" answers to questions and concerns many of them have expressed to me over the years. She accomplishes this without pontificating or platitudes; just a true spirit of faith and her passion to come along side and support her brothers and sisters. I have already recommended this book to people I know and will continue to do so.

**I hope this helps.  Depending on how this goes over with everyone, I’ll start to add books that have helped me over the years accept and grow in my pain.  Granted, depending on your level of pain or suffering it may help to have audiobooks for a while; we’ll make a note of those books that are available this way also.  The above book is not yet available via audiobook yet, but I’ll post if it gets that way.  What do you think?  Do you want to see book reviews here?  Do you have books that you have found helpful and others may enjoy also?    I’d really like to know what you think about this.

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