Three books have spoken deeply to my heart this year. One line in Bob Goff's Everybody Always keeps coming up to me. "What if we weren't afraid anymore?" I have lingered in Dr. Barry C. Black's Nothing to Fear. The Brave Art of Motherhood has been the third installment in my semester of God turning my heart upside down. It's not that I haven't been brave. I have done plenty of things that take gumption. The thing is that I have done those things through fear and they have caused so much pain to release. I picture myself packaging up presents, leaving them on doorsteps, and running. Maybe no one will know it was me. I want to be brave enough to bear my pain for the healing of others and greater glory of God.
This book grabbed my attention because of three words that I pray for regularly. Brave. Art. Motherhood. I come form the tribe of "I'm not equipped for this." Somehow, with no formal training, I am here. I have realized that desperation can very often lead to depth. I have realized how unequipped I am to mother and create. That has led my heart to try things and ask God for things that the equipped person would not ask for. It requires something extra. Creative engineering requires you to say that you are not like other people. You don't fit in. You are going a different way. Putting yourself out there like that feels painful.
God has prompted some complete changes in everything I am doing. He has been moving my heart to do new things in new ways. I move when he says to move. My trouble has come in the form of being stuck. The voices in my head and the voices out of my head tell me all of the reasons that I cannot do it. I can't see my way to the next step or I get lost in helping others and I cannot see my way back to the thing I desired to do. Then this.
Often in motherhood, my mind is always spinning and I can't think. Rachel didn't just write a book telling you not to be stuck anymore. She wrote a book telling you how to bravely hunt down your dreams and make them your reality. It's comprehensive and directional. Keep following the steps. Here are the steps. You can live again. You can quit blaming others for your failure. You can live out the life you are desperate to live. You can quit hiding and enjoy your life. I can't recommend it enough.
Rachel's story is powerful. Her trauma is relatable. Her help is needed. If you need help with any area of your life, I urge you to get it. If it is a business, a health change, debt relief, or simply not being afraid to jump in the pool, you'll find courage in the pages.
What do you want to be brave enough to do? This is your how to.
This book was graciously provided by Waterbrook Publishers for review.
