It's been about four years in the making. Well, make that about 40 years. Today my book, The Radiant Midnight: Depression, Grace, and the Gifts of a Dark Place makes its debut. If you've ever been in the nighttime of faith and especially if you're there now, this one's for you. I don't have all the answers to depression or pain or why God allows what He does. But I do know this: you can find God in the darkest places and in the hardest times. You can find peace in the midst of pain. And there is tremendous hope in hard things. I've lived with bouts of depression for most of my life. For a long time, I thought the only thing I really needed was for it to go away. But God had something else planned. I'm grateful He didn't answer my prayers in the way I expected. Instead, He answered them in the way I needed it most. This is a non-depressing book about depression. It's about the questions we all ask when we are hurting. It's about our tender, compassionate God who is with us at in the nighttimes of faith; and who will lead us through and out of them so we can find daylight once again. Carl R. Rogers said, "The most universal things are the most personal." In this book, I share a lot of my personal experiences -- but only to point to universal truths about God, suffering, and hope. Each chapter examines the unexpected gifts you can discover in the darkness. I also explore the life of King David -- who lived through his own share of bleak Midnights and dazzling dawns. I often extol the importance of living a transparent life. It's much easier to do this in theory than in actuality. But today, I'm offering my heart on the pages of a book--in all its transparent, undone, and unfinished ways. It feels fragile, hopeful, scary and exciting. I'm so grateful that you're on this journey with me. In gratitude and grace,
Melissa
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To order The Radiant Midnight: Depression, Grace, and the Gifts of a Dark Place, click HERE