As Silver Refined: Learning to Embrace Life's Disappointments

To think, this book had been in print for five years before I found it! It's extraordinary in its frankness, concerning present failures, past regrets, and absolute faith in God's sovereignty. What a blessing that I found it at last! I recommend it to any Christian who is troubled by past sins or mistakes. Even though God has forgiven you, do you have trouble forgiving yourself? This book is a great encouragement, and an enormous comfort. The title drew me in. EMBRACE disappointments? Pardon me? The book proved to be a keeper, and beyond that, one to buy for others too. I have a large collection of Christian books, but few of them have earned a place on my bed stand. This book is the most dog-eared of all. I have read it again and again, and God has blessed me each time, with a new discovery about my own life, or a fresh concept to encourage me. Kay's insight is breathtaking to me. She writes of trials that the enemy wishes would serve to destroy us, and what we can do about it, to reclaim our lives and our joy. She writes of God: "if this trial were not for your benefit and His glory, He would never have allowed it to seep through His fingers of love into your life. The disappointment has come, precious child of God, not because God desires to hurt you or make you miserable, or to demoralize you or ruin your life or keep you from ever knowing happiness. Rather, it comes because He wants you to be perfect and complete in every aspect, lacking nothing... God will use the disappointments of life to teach and train you and to make you more like Jesus Christ. God will use them to do something awesome: to reproduce Himself in you." And: "Let's look at a second particularly dangerous kind of disappointment: our regrets over the past. Something I constantly have to remind myself of ... is that whatever happens, happens. Once it's done, there's no changing it. No matter how I try, I cannot erase the past... Whatever happened, happened. We can't remake our pasts. But with God we can handle the past. With God, whatever has happened in the past need not destroy us.... Where there is hope there can never be despair. .. And since He's the God of all hope, the reality that our pasts cannot be changed need not demoralize and destroy us." and: "God is not a destroyer of us. Even when He allows us to self-destruct because of our wrong choices, even then He intervenes in His sovereignty for His children." and: "don't ever doubt His love or concern for you as His child - no matter what you might have done, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in." Kay Arthur's book is exceedingly encouraging and uplifting. She writes with sincere humility, and enormous faith. She has given me an entirely new understanding of why God allows life's trials, even those that I caused myself. And she lays out a path of faith for those who have stumbled, that leads away from despair. An extraordinary book.

My Mother-in-law passed away in February 2002. I really did not know where to turn. God seemed so far away. My husband and I decided to join a griefshare group, and Kay Arthur forms part of the videos, sharing her own experiences through her tough times. This book was on the "suggested read" list for griefshare. Although our group did not have this book on the shelf, I decided to go and buy it. (there were many to chose from, but because I am a Precept-upon-precept leader and student (try and find a study goin in your area - it will change you life forever). Well, i never looked back, I just could not put the book down, it helped me through those very dark tunnels, it guided me into seeing that my dissapointment could very well be God's appointments. The book has gone through my ladies book club as well as some of the students within my class. What makes this book brilliant is that God uses it to help us in our deepest pain and this I know because of all of the people that have borrowed my copy and read it - they have gone out to buy their own copy and some have even bought it as a gift for someone who needs encouragement and hope! I thank God for this book!

Kay sent me this book while I was going through one situation after another. It has totally uplifted me and changed my outlook on the things that keep happening to me. I am able to look as every disappointment as God's appointments. I am able to restore my confidence in God and trust Him because I know He has the whole picture where I can only see part of it. I never succeeded in reading straight through this book on a daily basis as a Bible study. It seemed God had me read only what I needed on day's I needed but it sure was annointed by the Holy Spirit. I think every person needs this book

This teaching has helped me to redefine disappointment. I am endeavouring to look at my life from God's perspective. As a result of this teaching, I am learning to enbrace disappointment as a tool in which God is refining me and developing in me something far greater than I often understand. Depression and disappointment are one of the enemy' greatest tools for plundering the hearts and mind of Gods people. Instead of allowing myself to wallow in disappointment and self pity, I immediately fall at the feet of Jesus and ask him to help me focus on him and what he wants to teach or reveal to me. This has been a very wonderful tool in overcoming the often subtle attack of the enemy to steal my joy.Furthermore, anything and anyone annointed by God will always produce life bearing fruit. Thanks Kay Arthur for allowing God to work in you to perform the blessing of teaching us how to stay connected to the source of living water.

I read this book while enduring a very difficult trial, and I can't begin to express how much this book changed my perspective. It reminded me of how great God truly is, of how much He loves me, and how His grace is sufficient for my life, especially during difficulties. I was reminded that everything that comes into my life first passes through the Lord's "finger's of love". If you are feeling disappointed, discouraged or depressed, read this book and it will refresh your joy and give you the courage to endure whatever comes into your life. Thank you, Kay Arthur, for proclaiming the truth of God!