Though this is a book that began with cancer, Dooley insists it is not a book about cancer. “Yes, I will share the powerful story of our son, who battled leukemia heroically. And yes, the lessons God taught us over a strenuous three-year period will be chronicled here. But my main purpose is to comfort others with the comfort I received from the Lord (2 Corinthians 1:4-5). Your adversity may be different, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that it isn’t important or that it lacks benefit.
Christians are well-resourced when it comes to books on suffering. Such books can typically be divided into two types: Those that are structured around theological themes and those that are structured around lived experiences. So some people begin with an examination of what the Bible has to say about suffering while other people begin with their own experiences of suffering and apply Scripture to them. There is value in both approaches. Adam Dooley’s Hope When Life Unravels falls squarely in the category that begins with experience.
When Dooley’s son Carson was three, he began to show some strange symptoms. He became listless and developed an odd rash that extended from his chin to his chest. His three-year-old energy and enthusiasm disappeared. His concerned parents took him to the hospital where they soon received the terrifying news: Carson had leukemia. “Why us? Why now? Why this? Feelings of anger, frustration, and bewilderment ravaged my mind.” This began a three-year period dominated by hospital visits, chemotherapy, and spiritual warfare. “As fear welled up in my heart, myriad questions bombarded me. Can we handle this? Is our faith strong enough? Will we lose our little boy? Why is this happening at all? Of all the people forced to go through a trial like this, why did God choose us?”
Though this is a book that began with cancer, Dooley insists it is not a book about cancer. “Yes, I will share the powerful story of our son, who battled leukemia heroically. And yes, the lessons God taught us over a strenuous three-year period will be chronicled here. But my main purpose is to comfort others with the comfort I received from the Lord (2 Corinthians 1:4-5). Your adversity may be different, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that it isn’t important or that it lacks benefit. The Bible has much to teach us about suffering, no matter what our particular circumstance is. My prayer is that God will use what He taught my family when storms blow into our lives. Despite the differences in what we face, the universal principles of Scripture are a healing balm for our greatest heartaches.” After all, none of us are without heartaches in this world, none of us escape without suffering. In that way, we all benefit from the truths God reveals in the Bible, whether we need to endure leukemia or a very different kind of affliction.
