A Path through Pain

September 18, 2023
In this stirring guide, married pastors Ed and Lisa Young (The Creative Marriage) share how they found purpose in faith after their daughter’s sudden death and counsel readers on how they can navigate hardships of their own. According to the authors, pain is inescapable, but God supplies “the strength you need to endure it, to grow from it,” and sometimes even “to find joy in it,” a process they’re still working through in the wake of their 34-year-old daughter’s death from alcohol-related complications. They guide readers through a four-step plan that begins with admitting “you cannot process pain on your own,” then moves on to accepting that “Jesus is your loving Lord,” “choos him daily,” and finding “hope and healing in community.” Along the way, readers can adopt such restorative practices as journaling and consistent Bible reading, and establish “support structures” that include seeing a therapist or leaning into “replenishing relationships.” The authors also highlight pain’s benefits, including spiritual growth and increased compassion, which “can change the way we experience” grief. While the Youngs’ relatively bare-bones plan might strike some readers as reductive, most will appreciate the authors’ willingness to tackle thorny faith questions (“How could a good God—a loving God—allow so much pain and suffering in the world?”) while remaining painfully candid about their own ongoing grieving process. This is ideal for the faithful seeking strength amid life’s trials.