Hey all, I’m still alive – keep an eye out for a post coming asap with a little update, rambling thoughts and an upcoming fall blogging schedule!
But, onto the whole reason for this post – a raw, honest, beautiful book. I’m gonna share my thoughts, and then Lauren is going to stop by with a meaningful post straight from her heart to yours.
Silent Suffering
Lauren knows this firsthand in her own battle with Lyme disease, which she was first diagnosed with when she was nine.
Silent Suffering is a story of resilience and joy against all odds, and a testimony that healing from late-stage neurological Lyme disease and trauma is possible. Lauren and her husband, Andy, wrote it
to help others heal and offer hope to those in the trenches. They share stories that illuminate God’s heart toward hurting people.
Countless miracles have taken place, but not in ways Lauren expected. There’s a common theme weaved throughout the book that God has always been doing a deeper work than physical healing. It’s a reminder that there is a God who’s good beyond our belief, and that a life anchored in His love can still be lived amidst unfathomable suffering. Whether you are struggling with chronic illness yourself, know someone dear to you with it, or are going through your own wilderness, this book will bless you richly.
“I’m not offering another formula, theology on healing, diet, or another protocol I think works for everyone. I share what my healing journey has looked like, and I offer stories that prove God’s faithful hand in silent suffering that has no answers or end in sight. I pray it blesses every soul who reads it.”
– Lauren
Join Lauren on a journey of healing and wholeness as she gets back to the basics of life, reflects on the lessons that have been learned, and rediscovers the heart of God in her deepest pain.
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Lauren is the author of Silent Suffering, a book about finding God’s faithfulness in her battle with Lyme disease, which she was first diagnosed with when she was nine years old. Lauren is a voice of encouragement, support, and empowerment for people who are battling chronic illness and don’t know where to turn for help.
Lauren enjoys creating community, doing anything outdoors, and making a difference in people’s lives. Lauren lives on a country road in Colorado among chickens, cows, and wildflowers with her husband, Andy.
My Thoughts
This is a book about a battle with chronic illness. I personally have not dealt with chronic illness, but I know several people who have, albeit not to a major extent. This book may have been written for the chronically ill, but honestly, you do not have to be ill to glean from this book. So much truth! And written from someone who has truly experienced the truth she writes about.
With this being a true-life story, and an inspirational book, I can’t exactly share about plot line and characters, now, can I? The characters were raw and real – because they are. The plot line was beautifully woven – because that’s how God’s stories always are. No, not beautiful in the sense that it’s all buttercups and roses – more often its ashes and ruins, splattered messes, and broken pieces – beautiful because when we get to the end of it and look back, we can see how God has so carefully and purposefully woven our lives, our stories, into a tapestry of His goodness and His faithfulness – all for His honor and glory. And that’s beautiful.
This book is a reminder that we all face suffering – in many ways. Some have more than others. But we all experience it. This book is the story of one person’s experience of finding Christ in her suffering. Of learning to truly rest and worship in the midst of pain.
I loved all the stories she shared (though I will say I had a hard time figuring out in what order things were happening. It felt like it jumped forward or backward at times – but that’s a small gripe) – the little miracles and the big miracles. So many moments of God’s faithfulness – through circumstances, through doctors, through friends, through strangers, through the beauty He’s painted throughout the world. God is above and beyond faithful. So often we don’t realize how great is His faithfulness until we go through hard times and realize how much we need Him.
It is definitely a book I will go back to and recommend to anyone going through suffering. It’s an encouraging read!
Note: If you have lymes, Lauren does share a lot about her health journey, what worked and what didn’t, so you may find that helpful.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
To end this post, I would like to share a guest post Lauren wrote just for all of my faithful readers. It’s a beautiful reminder that God is still with us, even in the midst of our disappoints. Soldier on, friends. Christ has won the victory and He calls you and me to draw nearer, still nearer to Him. He’s worth it all. Knowing him is worth all the suffering in the world.
God Is in Our Disappointments
Life doesn’t make sense much of the time. When you have chronic Lyme disease, it feels like a jumbled-up mess that tends to lose momentum over time. It can feel like you’re a defect in the world and that it’s costing the people in your life more and more the longer that you’re sick. Heaviness slowly and subtly settles in. It’s hard not to wonder what the point is in all of it.
How do we still hold joy amid sorrow? How do we enjoy time with our loved ones amid so many unknowns? How do we celebrate in the middle of our disappointments?
I’m finding that there are great lessons to be learned in tension. The stronger the tension, the more room there is to grow.
A couple nights ago, I was supposed to host a fun night at my house for the girls in my life group, but I woke up plagued with pain. As the day went on and I tried to shake it off, I realized yet again that I had to cancel plans due to how terrible I was feeling.
I didn’t want to pivot plans; I wanted to push through the pain like I have on countless occasions for the last decade to show up and be the friend, employee, or family member I want to be. But it was obvious; my brain and body were telling me, “Lauren, you need to slow down.” So I texted the girls and canceled. As I sat in the living room I had made nice and cozy for my guests, disappointment settled in.
We’ve all experienced our fair share of disappointments these past two years. Another cancellation. Another devastation. There we are, alone in our living rooms. Alone in our thoughts. Wondering how to live out our callings when we feel so many barriers, so many disappointments, so many changes of plans due to obstacles outside of our control.
Is God still meeting us in these moments?
John 16:21 says, “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.”
The other day right before this verse came to mind, I had a vision of being in labor. The pain I was experiencing felt never-ending. But as soon as my baby came out, my hands were raised, and I was filled with nothing but joy. I was weeping and rejoicing.
I believe that’s how it’s going to be for me one day. I believe that’s how it’s going to be for you one day, too. The anguish, pain, and continual grief that has come with chronic illness all these years will be only a faint memory.
Are there things that can only be birthed out of our pain? I believe so. I think that my suffering, grief, and disappointments have been the exact thing needed to prune me into who I was always meant to become. It doesn’t mean it isn’t hard; it just means there is a greater purpose to the pain. Suffering is not meaningless.
I don’t know where you’re at today. I don’t know if your heart is weary. I think most of our hearts are. Wherever you are, remember that God is not finished with you. He’s still writing your story. There is purpose even in our days, weeks, and seasons that feel nothing but mediocre.
Bursting Through The Darkness 