Grieving God's Way By Margaret Brownley

Grieving God's Way: The Path to Lasting Hope and Healing


 by Margaret Brownley is a 90 day devotional book dedicated for those who are grieving a loss.  There are so many devotional books on the market, but this book is targeted to comfort those who are greiving the death of a loved one.  With a well rounded approach Brownley covers the spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of grief.  In fact, this book is a step by step guide to help a grieving person who may not have the mental stamina to read a lengthy book on theology or a wordy self help book.  In the short, simple to read devotions, she touches on many issues that the grieving may face, from a biblical and practical perspective.  What makes her words even more powerful is that she speaks from experience- writing this book after the loss of her own son.  The Haiku exerpts  By Diantha Ain are included in each day's reading.  The short Haiku- styled quotes suppliment the passages written by Brownley. 
 
The only issue with the book that it is a broad book -  the references to the specific loss do not target a specific loss such as the loss of a child or the loss of a spouse.  In contrast, the book attempts to address the broad needs of grief from death in general.  At times, specific examples are used- such as cleaning the closet of a loved one, or the effects of complicated grief and unresolved issues.  I feel certain categories of loss are so specific and the grief process for the loss of a child in contrast to the loss of a spouse is significant that they merit their own books. This does not detract from the usefulness of the book- but, a mother left with empty arms who suffered the loss of an infant may not be faced with the same practical issues or grieving issues that may be felt by a widow. This book is a good springboard for the start of the healing process.
 
As a blogger for booksneeze, I recieved this book from Thomas Nelson publishers for the purpose of writing this review.