PRAISE FOR THE BOOK OF COMFORTS
The Book of Comforts gives us a safe place to bring our raw heartbreak so we can align it with the refuge found in Gods Word. Every page wipes a tear, holds a hand, and gives a real embrace to anyone searching for relief in the midst of their deep sorrow, suffering, or grief.
LYSA TERKEURST,New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
The place of grief can be one of the loneliest and most isolating places of all, yet none of us is exempt from it. This beautiful book invites us in to real stories of hardship and pain, yet also shows us that the comfort of God is more than an idea; it can be tangible in each of our lives. I feel as though this book is a perfect picture of 2 Corinthians 1:35, displaying the Father of compassion and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble. And I believe thats exactly what this book will doit will be a gift to many heavy hearts and weary minds.
NATALIE GRANT, singer/songwriter
In our damaged and disconnected world where things like loneliness, confusion, anxiety, and hopelessness seem on the rise even (and especially) in the most comfortable surroundings, The Book of Comforts is a gift for all who are weary. It is filled with comforting images, Scripture, and thoughtful reflection, and the authors have done a masterful job not only telling us about the One Scripture calls the God of all comfort, but also by showing us what His comforts look like, and where we can find them. I pray this book will help you find your rest in Jesus. It has certainly done this for me.
SCOTT SAULS, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee, and author of Befriend and Irresistible Faith.
This book is full of beauty and truth from Gods Word that are sure to be a balm for any hurting heart. So grateful for the authentic voices and stories here that give space for both grief and hope. A wonderful gift to anyone you know who is walking through a season of suffering.
ELLIE HOLCOMB, Dove Awardwinning singer/songwriter
The very existence of this book bears witness that the Gospel is true. With the turn of each page you will find evidence of Gods comfort in the stories and in His Scripture. What a kind and generous gift The Book of Comforts is to an aching world.
RAECHEL MYERS, CEO of She Reads Truth
When Im sitting deep in my sorrow, human words seem to bounce right off my heart. Tucked inside this beautiful book are words of a different sorttruths from the God who knows grief because He experienced it too. Where our words fall flat, Gods Word gives hope.
AMANDA BIBLE WILLIAMS, co-founder and chief content officer of She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth
As a pastor, I often search for just the right book to help point the hurting or grieving toward the beauty, goodness, and truth of Gospel comfort. During the past year, a time of deep loss for my own family, Ive needed such a book for myself. I am so grateful that Ive found it. Youre holding it in your hands. I urge you to buy it, to read it, and to pass it on (2 Corinthians 1:34). This is indeed a delightful book of comforts.
GEORGE GRANT, author and pastor of Parish Presbyterian Church
No one has a simple story, and everyone does something with their pain. This book is a beautiful, helpful guide for walking through our pain with hope anchored in Gods Word. Spend time with these words and images, and I believe you will find comfort.
RUSS RAMSEY, author of Struck: One Christians Reflections on Encountering Death, and pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, Cool Springs.
Ive walked through seasons of loss and longed for a book like thisone thats full of comfort and compassion, hope and encouragement, beauty and gentle strength. This is more than just a collection of pages; its a place any hurting heart can go to as a refuge in lifes hardest moments. I plan to return to it again and again.
HOLLEY GERTH, bestselling author of What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days
The Book of Comforts
Copyright 2019 by Caleb Faires, Rebecca Faires, Kaitlin Wernet, Cymone Wilder
Requests for information should be addressed to:
3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
ePub Edition March 2019: ISBN 978-0-310-45497-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc . Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc .
Scripture quotations marked CEB are taken from the Common English Bible. Copyright 2011 Common English Bible.
Scripture quotations marked CSB are taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked GW are taken from GODS WORD Translation ( GW ). Copyright 1995 by Gods Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Cover design and script: Cymone Wilder
Interior illustration: Word art by Cymone Wilder and Caleb Faires
Interior design: Lori Lynch
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 / DSC / 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook
Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.
To Kendall, for bringing us together.
CONTENTS
Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.
THOMAS MOORE, 1816
I ts hard to believe that, as I write this, my daughter Audrey would be ten and a half years old. Im not sure what to make of that; it feels far away and close at the same time. Halfway through my pregnancy, what was supposed to be a standard ultrasound became the hardest appointment of my life.
She will not survive after she is born.
She is incompatible with life.
There were a host of other words, Im sure. I remember them in bits and pieces. More than anything that was spoken out loud, what I will never forget is the way I stared at the fake flowers on the table in front of me. They matched perfectly. Too perfectly. I remember thinking that. Its strange how your mind works when youre being confronted with thoughts that are too big to comprehend in the moment.