Carol Kent - When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances

If I were to read only one book this year, it would be When I Lay My Isaac Down . This honest, heart-wrenching story caused me to look deep within and say to God, Yes, I am willing to give up what I love to You who loves me more.

L INDA D ILLOW , author of Calm My Anxious Heart and Intimacy Ignited

Carol Kent has poured her heart onto these pages, sharing her tragic and triumphant journey with breathtaking honesty. Her compassion for others lifts this story far above a simple testimony to Gods faithfulness. When I Lay My Isaac Down is about a believers faith put to the ultimate test.

L IZ C URTIS H IGGS , bestselling author of Bad Girls of the Bible

What a rare treasure it is to weep, mourn, and rejoice with Carol, finding in her words the strength in Christ to let go of my Isaacs. Please receive Carols invitation to take up our crosses together, knowing that with God, the story isnt over.

B ONNIE K EEN , writer/recording artist of the song Isaac

Carol consoles others with the very same comfort she has received through Gods ever-present mercy. For anyone facing the unique heartbreak of having to surrender what feels like a part of yourself, this book is a must-read.

M ICHELLE M C K INNEY H AMMOND , author of The Diva Principle

Carol has faithfully laid down her life for the gospel. And now, God has asked her to lay down her most precious treasureher only son. Today, Carol has come away from the altar gloriously transformed...so will you.

K ATHY T ROCCOLI , author, speaker, recording artist

For all those experiencing Jobs dark day in the present, and for all whose day is yet to come, this book points the way to the dawn of a new day.

J ILL B RISCOE , speaker, author of A Little Pot of Oil

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When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances

Copyright 2004, 2013 by Carol Kent. All rights reserved.

Study guide by Amber Van Schooneveld

A NavPress resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers

NAVPRESS and the NavPress logo are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO. TYNDALE is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Publishers. Absence of in connection with marks of NavPress or other parties does not indicate an absence of registration of those marks.

The Team: Don Pape, Publisher; Arvid Wallen, Designer. Cover design by Arvid Wallen.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. (Some quotations may be from the earlier NIV edition, copyright 1984.) Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. (Some quotations may be from the NLT1, copyright 1996.) Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

For the study guide, all Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

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ISBN 978-1-64158-272-8

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This book is dedicated to our

Stretcher Bearers

and to all of you who take the time

to respond to the needs of others

by answering the question,

How can I help with tangible encouragement?

Our Stretcher Bearers became the

hands and feet of Jesus to us

when we ran out of resources.

You have modeled a lifestyle of giving

that has forever changed our lives.

Please hold Gene and me accountable

for finishing well.

Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and Gods plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins.

E RIC L IDDELL, O LYMPIAN

I T WAS AN IDYLLIC FALL DAY. O UR M ICHIGAN TREES HAD TURNED FROM their magnificent summer greens to a panoramic palette of golden yellows, burnished oranges, russet browns, and deep reds. My husband, Gene, and I walked hand in hand along the glorious two-mile stretch of sidewalk beside the St. Clair River. The sun rose high in the azure sky, producing a reflection on the river that lived up to the advertisements in local chamber of commerce brochures. The complete tranquility of that moment is frozen in my memory.

We paused along the walkway, inhaling the fresh, crisp air, and talked about all of the good things that had been happening in our lives. Our son, J.P., had graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy a couple of years earlier, and we recounted the pride and joy we experienced on his graduation day in Annapolis, Maryland. He was an officer in the Navy with a bright future, and he had married a delightful young woman just the year before. With his marriage to April, he also became a devoted stepfather to her precious young daughters, Chelsea and Hannah. We adored our granddaughters and looked forward to watching this young family thrive. Genes business was flourishing. My speaking and writing career had exploded with opportunities for international travel and stimulating variety. We were young empty nesters entering what had all of the potential of becoming the best season of our lives.

After naming our blessings with grateful hearts, I looked up at my husband and said, Does life get any better than this? We finished the walk with our arms encircled around each others waists, never dreaming that in less than two weeks, everything about our future would change.