God of the Gaps

Each and every one us experiences times of struggle. Each experience is unique, and yet each struggle shares characteristics with the struggle of others. Perhaps the most shared characteristic of struggle is loneliness. Often times, we even feel that God has abandoned us.

Author Christie Love describes that place between our old normal and how we live with our struggle and wounds as a gap. We all have gaps in our journey through life. Sometimes the gaps hold on to us and keep us from experiencing the joy of life. Some gaps are more difficult to negotiate than others. Even though each struggle is unique and each gap experience is different, Christie shares some truths about finding God in those gaps and working together with other gap travelers to reach the other side.

God of the Gaps will speak to anyone that is struggling in their journey. It gives first-hand observations of both the fears and emotions of being in a gap, as well as practices that coach you in navigating those difficult times.
The two things that really stand out to me are:
1) Permission to feel
    Our emotions are God given and help us to process our experiences. It's okay to feel anger, disappointment, frustration, hurt. Finding the reasons for those emotions and understanding them is a part of the healing process.
2) God is there.
    God is in the gap with us! And God has sent others to walk with us in our difficult times.

God of the Gaps is a teacher. It has helped me to understand that I might be that person that can journey with another through their gap. I hesitate to say "help them through their gap" because that isn't always the role. Each person's gap is different. I think that fellow gap travelers are there for encouragement and maybe to help others realize that God is in our gaps and desperately wants us to feel loved and valued and validated in our dark times.

Today is launch day for God of the Gaps: Finding Faith in the In-between Spaces of our Journey.
If you are in the Springfield MO area, author Christie Love will be at Pagination Bookshop from 5 - 7 this evening. If you are not in the area, the book is available here from Amazon. 

John