It’s called “The Suffering God,” by Chuck Ohlrich, and has been out of print for some time. Chuck no longer requests anonymity.
Philip

I have read only one of your books (Where Is God When It Hurts?), but have wanted to read more for years. Today, as I wait in limbo to find out if I have breast cancer, I read the account of your accident (the epilogue of What Good Is God?) and your blog post celebrating four years of renewed life. I feel blessed to become reacquainted with your work and find wisdom, comfort, and hope there.

My goal is, throughout my own sobering process of diagnosis and planning for an uncertain future, to remain hopeful and grateful for the gifts I am aware of each day, but, admittedly, do not always fully enjoy. Your life sounds wonderful, with deep faith, a loving partner and family, time and resources to climb and revel in the wonders of nature, a calling that blesses so many, and untold opportunities and blessings. In comparison (unfair to us both!), my own life experience of painful divorce and single parenthood, the loss of one of my three children to an accident, another child’s heartbreaking struggles, financial worries, slogging away to achieve an advanced degree, a stressful career as a high school teacher, the perfect life partner if only he would marry me, aging family elders, and now the possible cancer. . . in comparison, one could get cynical, ask why me, and descend into self-pity and envy of those whose outcomes seem better. PLEASE keep writing things that will help life-long believers but everyday doubters like me meet and bear our burdens with appropriate perspective, a faith response that goes beyond Christian rhetoric, and reality-based wisdom that affirms God’s goodness and deep love for us, no matter what. Thank you for keeping things real.

I’ll get to those unread books now.

Trust me, Jan, there are many difficult things in my life as well, most of which I haven’t written about because of the pain they would cause others. It occurs to me that we’re called to be stewards of different things: some stewards of success, some of failure, some stewards of wealth, some poverty, etc. You can see the trend all through the Bible. The key is to be faithful to that calling, and you seem to be doing so. No doubt you’ve already learned about the next test of faith in your life. Regardless, may it push to the forefront what matters most in life, as my accident certainly did for me.
Philip

So glad you’re still with us! God bless you.

Tim

Thanks for sharing your post. Oftentimes the pressing demands of my daily tasks
rob me of thoughtful regard to the most important things in life. Thank you for reminding me of at least two reasons why I wake up each day and why I continue to do what I do.

I started reading your books 10 years ago. You have no idea how much your insights have inspired and encouraged me throughout the years. I like the fact that you write not as an expert or a preacher but as a lifelong student of faith who’s still trying to learn and master the ropes. Whenever I read your books, I feel like I’m simply having a long talk with a friend or old acquaintance, and not like I’m listening to a church pastor’s sermon or admonition. I don’t know how to fully explain it, but your words have a way of reaching me at the exact moment that I need them. For that, I am grateful. I hope that you would continue to write more and more books and stories to share with us.

Try my book “Disappointment with God.” I wrote it some 20 years ago, but had exactly this kind of person in mind. A more recent book is “A Skeptic’s Guide to Faith,” but from what I read here, I’d recommend the older one first. You’re a good friend to her.
Philip

Thank you for writing this. I’m a sixteen year old high school student, and so many times I find in myself a horribly wrong attitude of complaint. Why so much homework, or stress about ACTS and college? Your blog reminded me again that life is precious, I’ve been blessed beyond all measure, and even if I exchanged all my words of complaint into praise and thankfulness, I can still never say enough.

I was wondering though: What do you do personally with feelings of restlessness? I often get this overwhelming need to be somewhere else, doing something…its rather hard to put to words. Sometimes this restlessness is incapitating and I can’t focus on anything. Do you ever feel this way, and if so, what do you do to “recover?”