About this item

Interweaving biblical insights and personal narratives, this eloquently written book shows how God often uses suffering and desert experiences to form us into Christ's image. Marlena Graves shares her experiences of growing up poor in a house plagued by mental illness as a means to explore the forces God uses to shape us into beautiful people in the midst of brokenness.This book offers a window into suffering through the motif of desert spirituality, revealing how God can use our painful experiences to show himself faithful. While no one welcomes suffering, God often uses desert experiences--those we initially despise and wouldn't wish on anyone--to transform us into beautiful souls who better resemble Jesus. Graves shows how God can bring life out of circumstances reeking of death and destruction, whether those circumstances are crises or daily doses of quiet desperation.



About the Author

Marlena Graves

Marlena Graves is the author of the 'The Way Up Is Down: Finding Yourself by Forgetting Yourself' (IVP, 2020) , 'Who's My Neighbor: Loving Our Neighbors as God Loves Us,' (Discovery Series, 2020) , A Beautiful Disaster: Finding Hope in the Midst of Brokenness (Brazos Press, 2014) , and Enneagram 9 Daily Readings (IVP, 2021) . She has written over 200 articles and devotionals in a variety of venues. She also speaks at conferences and retreats in the area of spiritual formation and justice especially in the area of immigration. Formerly she worked for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) with migrant farm workers and residents of urban Toledo, Oh and as pastoral staff in several different churches. She is an adjunct professor at Winebrenner Seminary and is pursuing her PhD in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University. Here focus is on Evangelicals, race, immigration, and possibly gender. She is also a member of Ink: A Creative Collective and lives just outside of Toledo, OH with her husband and three daughters.



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