What People Are Saying About Beating on the Chest of God
Rev. Tom Trinidad, Vice Moderator 220th General Assembly PC(USA):
"Written with candor reminiscent of Anne Lamott, and with as much authority wrought through real experience, Rachel Doll shares her story, along with those of carefully selected friends and authors, to invite us into the dark valley of infertility. As she does so, she testifies of the fundamental truth that even when we feel utterly alone and abandoned, God walks with us. Intended for fellow pilgrims on the pregnancy path of extraordinary measures, this book will speak comfort and courage to anyone wrestling with God over issues of loss and grief, confusion, anxiety, and anger. I recommend it also to every pastor, partner, and friend to women discovering themselves on this path."
Melissa Kleehammer, Registered Yoga Instructor:
"A refreshingly honest dialogue about our deepest thoughts and fears and bringing them to the surface. It cuts to the core of our own emotions and personal struggles, which touches on the essence of the book - that we are not alone in our suffering. What a humbling experience to be brought in to Doll's painful, but transformational journey."
Shawn Nichols, Theological Student :
"In a world saturated with simplistic answers and cheesy spirituality, people need to hear an authentic word that gives them permission to live with doubt, anger, loss, and abandonment. It’s like a breath of fresh air that gives people the space to be real. Reading your journal in my own time of desperation was a curious kind of comfort – it didn’t take the pain away, but it helped make it bearable, probably in part because it simply affirmed that my experience was legitimate and not something to hide or be ashamed of."
Amelia Stratton-Smith, Spiritual Director:
"When events in our lives defy our efforts to fix or explain, our understanding of God may be challenged in fundamental ways. We can respond by rejecting our cherished ideas and beliefs, or we can stay with the challenge to reframe and expand our experience of who God might be, and simultaneously to allow the divine presence to rework our own sense of self. Rachel shares an intimate journey in which she tills the soil of her own life, manure and all, exposing it to the Light of Day. The result is a rich field of personal reflection that invites readers to enter the fertile territory of personal growth with honesty and courage."
"Written with candor reminiscent of Anne Lamott, and with as much authority wrought through real experience, Rachel Doll shares her story, along with those of carefully selected friends and authors, to invite us into the dark valley of infertility. As she does so, she testifies of the fundamental truth that even when we feel utterly alone and abandoned, God walks with us. Intended for fellow pilgrims on the pregnancy path of extraordinary measures, this book will speak comfort and courage to anyone wrestling with God over issues of loss and grief, confusion, anxiety, and anger. I recommend it also to every pastor, partner, and friend to women discovering themselves on this path."
Melissa Kleehammer, Registered Yoga Instructor:
"A refreshingly honest dialogue about our deepest thoughts and fears and bringing them to the surface. It cuts to the core of our own emotions and personal struggles, which touches on the essence of the book - that we are not alone in our suffering. What a humbling experience to be brought in to Doll's painful, but transformational journey."
Shawn Nichols, Theological Student :
"In a world saturated with simplistic answers and cheesy spirituality, people need to hear an authentic word that gives them permission to live with doubt, anger, loss, and abandonment. It’s like a breath of fresh air that gives people the space to be real. Reading your journal in my own time of desperation was a curious kind of comfort – it didn’t take the pain away, but it helped make it bearable, probably in part because it simply affirmed that my experience was legitimate and not something to hide or be ashamed of."
Amelia Stratton-Smith, Spiritual Director:
"When events in our lives defy our efforts to fix or explain, our understanding of God may be challenged in fundamental ways. We can respond by rejecting our cherished ideas and beliefs, or we can stay with the challenge to reframe and expand our experience of who God might be, and simultaneously to allow the divine presence to rework our own sense of self. Rachel shares an intimate journey in which she tills the soil of her own life, manure and all, exposing it to the Light of Day. The result is a rich field of personal reflection that invites readers to enter the fertile territory of personal growth with honesty and courage."