The Gift of One Day: How to Find Hope When Life Gets Hard

Married coauthors Kerry and Chris Shook (One Month to Live), founders of Woodlands Church in Houston, Tex., tackle grief and loss with this poignant recollection of their grandson Jude’s single day alive, and how the experience transformed their perspective for the better. Made up of stories first recorded in their “Miracle Book” during the fight for Jude’s life after he was born with kidney malfunction, their affecting anecdotes show how God provided lessons learned through strife. Despite their unanswered prayers, the Shooks know their loss was not for nothing: “We don’t understand why Jude’s story was written this way, and we don’t expect to in this lifetime. But if these chains serve to advance the gospel, what does it matter?” Their stories, which include getting hugs from strangers and sharing the gospel with a stranger on an airplane, are used as anecdotal evidence of God’s presence and evidence that simple acts of kindness can lighten burdens. The Shooks heart-wrenchingly delve into the ways they’ve explored their pain, surrendering to God’s will for the greater good. Asking readers to see pain as an opportunity for personal growth, the Shooks provide a gripping portrait of the strength of faith in overcoming trauma. (Feb.)