Okay, y'all know how much I love Shauna's work. For me, reading her words is like reading insights into my own mind that I hadn't yet connected. She writes the way I think. Her words inspire me to do the things I kind of think about, but don't dare do. Her words inspire ME to write the way I want to write. And homegirl loves Jesus and stirs my affection for Christ in constantly pointing to Him in her writing. She's coming to Dallas in November and is doing an event at Irving Bible Church that my friend, Aubrey, is organizing. Ladies, y'all need to come. You know it will be fantastic. Talk to me for details if you're interested.
Her latest work is wonderful, challenging, honest, and inspiring. Here are a few thoughts I have about it...
There are many words that could be used to describe Shauna's recent work: raw, gritty, funny, sarcastic, inspiring. However, the one word that most encapsulates the tone and the brilliance is this one: honest.
Writing about a personal season of heartache, change, and struggle, Shauna lets the reader into very raw and honest places in her life. She shares the pain and feelings of isolation following a miscarriage, the struggles that arise in marriage when listening stops, and the challenge of accepting and moving with change. It is all at once a beautiful tapestry of wisdom and a felt pain shared between reader and author in the communicating of these experiences.
Through it all, Shauna constantly points back to her faith in Christ as being the stronghold that carried her through the season of deep difficulty she experienced. Interweaving Biblical truths in her own refreshing language and style, Shauna provides insight and wisdom that does not terminate on herself but rather points the reader to a greater Answer.
In blessing or mourning, this work is one that is essential. The combination of its honesty and hope in the presence of hard circumstances is something that will provide encouragement to the reader, regardless of the season they find themselves in.
Shauna, thank you for letting us in, pointing us to Christ, and running the race before you well. Inspiring.
"...one day I'll stand before God and account for what I did with my life. There is work that is only mine to do: a child that is ours to raise, stories that are mine to tell, friends that are mine to walk with. The grandest seduction of all is the myth that DOING EVERYTHING BETTER gets us where we want to be. It gets us somewhere, certainly, but not anywhere worth being." -Things I Don't Do, 'Bittersweet'
1 comment:
I don't know how I missed this! I would have loved to have heard her. I loved Cold Tangerines! I loved the prologue of Bittersweet and also blogged about it. :) The rest of the book was so-so for me. But regardless, I think she'd be an awesome person to hear speak!!
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