JL Gerhardt is storytelling minister for Round Rock Church of Christ, just north of Austin, Texas. She writes books and other resources, is a frequent public speaker, and leads marriage seminars with her husband, a minister. Her understanding of grief has been shaped by the loss of her brother when she was twenty-one.
Description
Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Changing Shape Chapter 2 Fighting for Life Chapter 3 Practicing Hope Chapter 4 On Exploding Safely: The Gift of Lament Chapter 5 Welcoming Help: The Gift of Belonging Chapter 6 Living in the Present: The Gift of Daily Bread Chapter 7 Seeing Clearly: The Gifts of Mortality and Immortality Chapter 8 Remembering: The Gift of Inspiration Chapter 9 Reaching Out: The Gift of Comfort Chapter 10 Looking for Light: The Gift of Gratitude Chapter 11 Rebuilding: The Gift of a New Normal Chapter 12 Cultivating Joy: The Gift of Celebration
"How do you pick up and live when you are drowning in grief? Will there ever be joy again? And what happens to faith? How do you respond to all those well-meaning friends and family who say just the wrong thing? How can you possibly respond when every fiber of your being is so raw and broken? JL Gerhardt gently but confidently guides us through all of these uncomfortable questions in A Grief Received. She understands the true meaning of grief. Brokenness. Numbness. Anger. Loss. She even questions the very God she has given her life to. Gerhardt shares this journey with us in a compassionate style that assures the reader that grief is a very intimate acquaintance. But she doesn't leave us wallowing in our despair. She shows us practical, accessible answers and how to get up and take those first steps toward hope and living. Each chapter has reflection and discussion questions that work well on a personal level, as well as for groups. She gives readers hope that life can go on and can be full of joy again. A Grief Received is certainly an anchor in the sea of grief, and Gerhardt is a worthy and kind captain on the journey." --Sherry Thompson, MS, NCC, Med, Counselor with the Association of Behavioral Counselors "Like Gerhardt, I have in times of grief reached for humor as body armor that shields me from the painful edges of the human experience. Laughter and other forms of running from reality help in the moment, but if you run long enough, they leave you starving for something, anything substantial. For us runners, Gerhardt guides us to see the good news of lament so we can learn to put out armor down long enough to receive the life-sustaining hope that becomes our daily bread." --Luke Norworthy, Preacher, author, and host of the popular podcast Newsworthy and Norsworthy