Rebecca K. Reynolds - Courage, Dear Heart: Letters to a Weary World

I love this book, partly because I see myself in almost every page my clumsy, halting, constantly faltering daily walk with God but mostly because I recognize the gospel in almost every page: Gods mercy, patience, persistence, and faithfulness laid out in the most imaginative ways. This book is a wonderful accomplishment and an excellent read.

FERNANDO ORTEGA, singer-songwriter

To read this book is to take a journey. The eyes of your soul will open widely, and you will blink in wonder at how you had never seen what you see now. Rebecca Reynolds takes in hand language, literature, science, philosophy, theology, and her own life experience to explore those foundational questions that haunt and confuse us. Enjoy your journey!

SARAH VAN DIEST, author of God in the Dark: 31 Devotions to Let the Light Back In

Wisdom and compassion illuminate every beautiful sentence of this gospel-infused book. I love that Rebecca Reynolds chose the title Courage, Dear Heart. Shes one of the most courageous people I know, and her heart is one of the dearest. I hope this is the first of many books from her.

JONATHAN ROGERS, bestselling author

In Courage, Dear Heart, Reynolds enters into the depths of each readers messy human experience and puts her arm around them in friendship, offering compassion, wisdom, and hope. Reynolds speaks to all readers as a close friend, immersing them in a rich narrative saturated with poetry, literary excerpts, Scripture, and authentic, sometimes painfully honest stories from her life and ministry. Courage, Dear Heart is the rare book that not only keeps vigil with readers in the shadows of their struggles but also compassionately walks beside them as they move once again toward the light. I am certain I will return to it many times to experience the grace woven into each paragraph of this wonderful book.

JOEL CLARKSON, author and composer; narrator of The Green Ember audiobook series

Written with imagination and compassion, these letters to a weary world will bring renewed vision and some much-needed courage to their readers.

MALCOLM GUITE, poet and singer-songwriter

Rebecca Reynolds is one of the most perceptive and enjoyable writers Ive ever read. In Courage, Dear Heart, her exceptional honesty, clarity, and willingness to engage with God in hard things shine through each page. This is not a dry tome. These are word pictures of God and his workings to brighten everyday life.

RON BLOCK, banjoist, guitarist, and vocalist with Alison Krauss & Union Station

NavPress is the publishing ministry of The Navigators, an international Christian organization and leader in personal spiritual development. NavPress is committed to helping people grow spiritually and enjoy lives of meaning and hope through personal and group resources that are biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical.

For more information, visit www.NavPress.com.

Courage, Dear Heart: Letters to a Weary World

Copyright 2018 by Rebecca Reynolds. All rights reserved.

A NavPress resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

NAVPRESS and the NAVPRESS logo are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO. TYNDALE is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. 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

Caitlyn Carlson, Acquisitions Editor

Elizabeth Symm, Copy Editor

Jennifer Phelps, Designer

Published in association with William K. Jensen Literary Agency, 119 Bampton Ct. Eugene, OR 97404

Cover photograph of tape copyright by cruphoto/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph of brush strokes copyright by emyerson/Getty Images. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV 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. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. 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 HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked BSB are taken from The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, BSB. Copyright 2016 by Bible Hub. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version, copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

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 coincidental.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Tyndale House Publishers at , or call 1-800-323-9400.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available.

ISBN 978-1-63146-768-4

ISBN 978-1-63146-770-7 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-63146-771-4 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-63146-769-1 (Apple)

Build: 2021-04-21 13:18:20 EPUB 3.0

For the Rabbits. All shall be well.

R. K. R.

I didnt understand how tired most Christians were until 2007. That year, I was working as a creative coordinator in a church of about two thousand members a behind-the-scenes dream job for an introvert. At the beginning of every sermon series, the teaching team would talk with me about the main themes they wanted to convey and then invite me to design scripts, props, and visual art for Sunday mornings.

Easter needed to be special, so I talked our pastors into trying something risky. One week before the big service, we passed around baskets full of torn, colored tissue paper and asked our members to write a single word on their chosen piece a word that captured their biggest sorrow or struggle. Keep your word anonymous, I said. Disguise your handwriting if you dont want anybody to know which one is yours, but be real with whatever you write down. Thats important.

My secret plan? To transform these papers into seven eighteen-foot, backlit windows a massive symbol of Gods ability to turn brokenness into beauty. Trust me, I begged the teaching team. This is going to be great.