Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy

Pain is one of life s most debilitating, depressing, and dark sensations. Chronic pain, relentless and ongoing, can make life seem almost unbearable. Pain can wrench us away from everything we love, people, activities, even God. Yes it can wrench us away...if we let it.

So begins Beyond Pain, an in-depth look at how people can not only live with pain but come to see it and all suffering with the eyes of faith. This is also a book about two remarkable, pain-filled lives from Scripture, Job and Jesus. The author believes that Job has much to teach those in pain. He is like each of us, she says, human and trying to do the right thing out of our flawed-but-faithful hearts. And Jesus, of course, is the prime example of accepting and embracing pain even as he died on the cross. Though many of us still need strength, courage, and self-awareness to build our faith and ministry, the author says, we have Jesus light to guide us, and his example to emulate.

This book challenges readers to follow the example of Job and most of all Jesus, in accepting pain and in believing there are many joys awaiting them, if they choose to reach out, look, hope and live...beyond pain. Her book is for anyone who lives with deep, life-altering pain and who wants to have more joy, faith, and purpose. As Job did. As Jesus did.

Maureen Pratt