cover image WHY?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand

WHY?: Trusting God When You Don't Understand

Anne Graham Lotz, . . W Publishing Group, $14.99 (141pp) ISBN 978-0-8499-1786-8

As the daughter of Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, Lotz, now a renowned speaker and author in her own right, has much for which to give thanks, and she knows it. Still, like any other person with a heartbeat, Lotz's life has been riddled with times of desperation and heartrending sorrow. The author of Just Give Me Jesus and My Heart's Cry openly reveals the struggle she's endured in attempting to make sense of death, disease and suffering. Drawing upon John 11, she retells the story of sisters Mary and Martha and the death and eventual resurrection of their brother, Lazarus. Throughout this pithy, passionate book, Lotz eloquently imagines the emotional and spiritual agony Martha in particular endured while waiting for Jesus to intervene. Searching believers will gratefully grab the hope Lotz imparts as she reinforces a foundational scriptural truth: no matter the circumstance, and even when facing certain defeat, one can trust God because of who he is. Skeptics notwithstanding, Lotz treats this topic with the respect it deserves. She does not answer everyone's "why's," nor does she offer pat answers to those who are hurting. Instead, she suggests to Christians that frequently pain is a requirement for our eventual good and God's ultimate glory. Dedicated to "those who have unanswered prayers," Lotz covers the scope of human suffering with prose that is sure to find its place among other classic works of faith. (Apr.)

Forecast: Clearly her father's daughter, Lotz's Just Give Me Jesus revivals have made her a headliner in cities all over the world.