Grieve Breathe Receive by Steve Carter

 


Grieve Breathe Receive by Steve Carter may just be the best Christian non-fiction book  for me that I have read so far this year. I'll be honest, I ordered this book and then I set it aside I got it. One day I picked it up and I could not put it down for two days until I finished it. 

As the title suggests, this book is divided into three sections: Grieve, Breathe and Receive. Carter was at one time a leader at Willow Creek Community Church when he resigned after learning of the senior pastor's abuse. I remember when all of this happened in 2018 as we watched a service to see Bob Goff right about that time. In this book, Carter shares why he had to resign from Willow Creek church and how that decision left him and his family reeling for a long time. This book is about grieving from a variety of losses--loss of a job, loss of friends, health issues, and much more. He also shared that he lost a couple of family members in death not long afterwards too, so it also covers grieving the death of a loved one. 

Grieve Breathe Receive is written in such a way that I just feel like Carter is having a conversation with me. It is almost like I can hear him saying these words. He shares personal stories and stories from the Bible. But the book really seems to come from his heart. I needed to see someone share in that way right now. I have been deconstructing and re-constructing my faith for the past few years. I have also been hurt by Christians close to me. Then I received a scary diagnosis and I had to grieve the life I used to have to deal with the illness. At that time, I took a look at my heart and soul, while still looking to God, not unlike Carter in this book. I could relate to so much of this book even though my issues were/are different. 

At the end of each chapter are questions to ask yourself. I read this book quickly, but I want to go back through and journal some answers to those questions. I think this could be a good book to work through with a counselor or support group. It would also be good for a Christian book club. Lots to talk about and lots to learn in this book. I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Amazon Vine Program. All opinions within this review are my own.

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