Hope When Your Heart Breaks: Navigating Grief and Loss

Okay. So full disclosure: I’ve known Mike Newman for a long time now and always love getting my hands on his new books. Yet, even though I might be a bit of a fan-boy of Mike’s work, I’m also not afraid of giving him a truthful response to his work either. On that note...let’s do a review.First, I think the table to contents is really where the reading begins. The book is designed to almost be a devotional for times of hurt, crises, and struggles that happen in life. The table of contents nicely lays out all the different circumstances the book can be used for. This is both very handy and yet at the same time kills a bit of the overall narrative flow which Mike is usually very good at. So, if you think you’re going to get a great narrative or a weaved together thesis about the idea of hurting: THAT’S NOT THIS BOOK. Instead, if you are looking for a more read as you go through the craziness of life or even a devotional spiritual reading around the concepts of hurt and challenges then I say this book is for you.Now, so many times (SO MANY TIMES) devotional or topic driven books around this topic can be downright cheesy and borderline disrespectful to the person’s circumstances. Too many books give you the “Jesus loves you and now everything is better” answer when it comes to these difficult topics. Mike puts a ton of effort not to do this. It may get a bit spiritualized here and there, and at times I think he might have let the conversation breathe a bit instead of trying to force a biblical or spiritual answer on it. Yet, most of the time (like 95%) he allows the topic to be the topic. It sucks, it hurts. Things break and get bitter at times. He tries to meet the people where they are at in those times with some of his own stories or stories that create common ground experiences. From there, the pastoral side of Mike comes to life and he gently leads the reader toward some hopeful, restful, comforting, or bare minimum better place than where the chapter starts.So, overall, I gave it a 5 star rating because it’s not a canned or cliched look at some very difficult topics, and it’s quite a user friendly book for people who just need a 5-10 minute chapter to read on something they are struggling with in life. Yes, it’s very a solid biblical perspective. And yes, it’s written by a pastor of a conservative Protestant denomination. But I’m telling you guys, Mike knows what he’s doing as a pastor in 21st century America and it shows in this book. He gets people. He gets real hurt. Yet, he also gets hope, peace, and love. And who doesn’t want that?

This book is a wonderful treasure. Buy an extra copy to give to a friend or loved one going through a season of suffering or loss or grief. Short chapters that deal with suffering in one of the many ways it can manifest itself. Short and easy to read, because sometimes you don't have the energy to read a lengthy theological treatise on suffering. They always point to Jesus and always offer hope and encouragement. Each devotion is a treasure.

Chapters are short but full of good content, with a short study on a Psalm at the end of each chapter. So easy to read especially when you are grieving.

Very thoughtful, encouraging book.

Another great book by Michael Newman. I ordered another copy for my cousin to use.

Written from a grace-filled pastor's heart, Michael Newman has penned an essential resource for embracing hope amidst grief. Hope dims when life's storms hit, but Michael skillfully uses Scripture to ignite the torch of healing. His beautiful insights into grief tell us he's been there. He wraps God's words of hope around the grieving like a toasty blanket on a frosty night. Compassionate, crucial, Christ-centered — and critically needed. I will absorb and share this brilliant resource for years to come.