Book Review and Giveaway: Inheritance of Tears

The Bible says, "...man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). There isn't a person living who hasn't experienced trouble. For many couples, miscarriage is one such trouble. In the midst of suffering, we are faced with hard questions:

• Who is in control in the midst of trials and suffering?
• Is God good? Can I really trust Him?
• Why do babies die? Is it because of something that we do?
• Does anyone understand my suffering?
• What purpose, if any, does my pain serve?
• What happens to babies that die?

Jessalyn Hutto knows the pain of miscarriage. In her book, Inheritance of Tears, she answers these questions, as well as, others and seeks to comfort couples with the comfort with which she has been comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:4). She points others to the rock-solid truth of God's character as revealed in His Word and to the hope that we can have in Jesus Christ. While miscarriage is the specific context to which Jessalyn speaks, her words can easily be more generally applied to suffering and trials.

Unlike Jessalyn, I have not experienced miscarriage first hand. However, when my friends and family have faced miscarriage, my attempts to comfort them have seemed woefully inadequate. I came to this book desperately wanting to learn how to be a better friend and care more effectively. God used this book to remind me that the most helpful comforter is the one who points the sufferer back to God. He wants His children to draw comfort from Him. As Jessalyn writes:

"Indeed, even the feelings of isolation can be a great blessing, for isolation from all worldly comforts forces us to draw comfort from the Lord himself" (pg. 55)

and

"Trials sanctify us and draw us into closer fellowship with God, which inevitably leads to genuine, eternal happiness" (pg. 72).

Inheritance of Tears is a Biblically faithful primer on suffering. Jessalyn writes honestly about the questions that miscarriage raises. I pray that God will use this book to comfort many couples in the face of loss and to equip many more to be Gospel-centered comforters.

Thanks to Jessalyn Hutto and Cruciform Press, you can have the opportunity to win a copy of Inheritance of Tears. If you are interested, simply fill out the form below before  12pm EST, Thursday, April 2, 2015, for a chance to win. (Sorry, giveaway only open to those with a US mailing address.)

*Many thanks to Jessalyn Hutto and Cruciform Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of Inheritance of Tears in exchange for my honest opinion!