When Happily Ever After Shatters

From the first page of this book I was hooked. The author Sue Birdseye writes from her own experience of abandonment from her husband that left her a single mother of three.

Right away I connected with this woman. Although our situations were a little different, I really felt like some of her words were aimed right at me. She included prayers between chapters that really spoke to me. In fact, I copied a few of them into my journal. I have included one at the end of this post. I love that she focuses the healing process on your faith. For me, this has been so important. The loss of my husband was really difficult. I have actually described the day he told me as the day my life shattered.

Each chapter of this book focuses on a new part of her recovery. I especially connected with the chapter about anger titled ""Slashing tires and other thoughts to take captive." That is something I have been dealing with very recently and it really helped me feel like my feelings were "normal." Seeing it in print, written by someone who has been there is so very different then hearing it from your family or friends. A couple other chapters I connected with were: Forgiveness: Trading The Unbearable For The Beautiful and 24/7 Doesn't Begin To Describe Single Parenting.

Throughout this book are also scattered journal entries from the times she was going through the situations. This helped me see her as a real person who had actually lived through divorce. Bible verses are all throughout this book and I really appreciated that. Makes me really look to the Creator for the help only He can give. I plan on renewing the loan I have with the library so I can mark the verses in my Bible.

Anyway, if you or someone you know is going through divorce or abandonment I would strongly recommend this book. In fact, I would recommend it for someone who has a friend or family member going through the same thing.

Lord, Your word says that You are the “father of mercies” and the “god of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction” with the comfort we have received from You (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, esv) 

God, sometimes it’s so difficult to see beyond our own pain and suffering and to feel any ability to bless or comfort those around us. Lord, despite our own pain, please help us bless others. Let us find our strength in Christ. Lord, hold our hearts. You know intimately the heartbreak of abandonment and betrayal. Father, please heal our hearts, restore our minds, and mend our broken homes (Psalm 147:3). 

As temptations come – those we expect and those we don’t – please help us lean heavily on You. Please don’t let us lose sight of Jesus. Give us strength to not throw away our confidence, “which has a great reward” (Hebrews 10:35, esv). We are not of those who “shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (verse 39, esv)! 

God, be glorified in our messy lives. Your word says You give “strength to the weary” and increase “the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). We boldly ask for Your strength. Let our hearts take courage in You (Psalm 112:8). 

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

I don't think I can end this review better then that. I did just find that the author has a personal  blog as well. You can find that here.