What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life

This is the book I want with me when all hell breaks loose and I am battling the worst day of my life. I have had some difficult days, some challenging days, some tearful days, but on the worst day of my life would somebody please hand me a copy of Brian Zahnd's, What to Do on the Worst Day of your Life. This book is more of a story than a how-to guide. Zahnd retells the biblical story of King David and the tragedy at Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-8, 16-20, 26). He masterfully weaves the reader into the story, so that like David, we feel the heartbreak, the disillusionment, the turn-around, the grace-infused renewal, the righteous anger, the thrill of victory, the celebration of recovery, and the proclamation of hope. King David was having a bad day. As Zahnd tells it: David went bankrupt, had his house burned to the ground, his possessions stolen, and his entire "family kidnapped by terrorists--all in one day [author's emphasis]" (3). For sure this was a bad day, the worst day in David's life up to this point. Zahnd's retelling of David's story gives us an encouraging template, a heart-stirring testimony of grace and hopes, so that we cannot only endure our own worst days, but reach a place of full recovery. He peppers the retelling of David's story with his own stories of struggle and celebration and he appeals time and time again to the Scripture. (There are 163 biblical references recorded in the "Notes" section in the back of the book.) As an unfolding story itself, What to Do on the Worst Day of Your Life does not offer a picture of naïve optimism or a catalyst for superficial emotionalism. This story is centered on the grace-filled message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Like David during his Ziklag experience, Zahnd explains that Jesus cried our tears, shared in our suffering, and defeated our enemies through the cross and the empty tomb. Because of God's gracious gift of redemption, we can join David in getting a word from God, reorienting our vision, regaining our passion, attacking, and recovering all. Zahnd uses not only the imagery of "success" and "prosperity," which can so easily be misunderstood in our culture; he also uses the imagery of "beauty"and "restoration." He writes: "Beauty is the final objective of God's gracious work, and ashes seem to be His favorite medium. God is the creator of beauty and a connoisseur of all that is truly beautiful. God is an artist, His canvas is creation, and in our lives tears and ashes are often His oil and clay as a He works relentlessly to make something beautiful" (110). According to Zahnd, God wants us to fully recover from our worst days, because salvation is "for the restoration of all things to God's original goodness" (96). We can survive our worst days with the hope of the restoration of God's original goodness for our lives. We can recover, but God will weave these "worst days" into our lives so we can rightly give to others and be sources of healing and encouragement

This book is simple and easy to read but what I loved about it was the depth of insight. I read lots of Christian books throughout the year but the ones I favor are the ones that tell me something I did not know in a way I can practically apply to the here and now. Too many messages are clever, cute and make you feel good for a little while before you realize they did not help you out of the ditch. I don't have the time or the money for re-hashed concepts. With everything going on in the world today I'm looking for fresh biblical insights the hidden gems that will serve me well again and again. If or when my worst day comes again I'll have a better handle on what to do in order to minimize the damage and hopefully pull out successfully.

I must say that the first thing to grab me about this book was the title. Who doesn't want to know what they should do when any kind of life disaster hits? When I go through hard times, it's bad enough that everything is chaotic let alone trying to salvage any kind of rational thought to help me deal with the situation. This book takes a story from the life of David, a man after God's heart, and teaches how we should react to what can seem to be an endless cycle of Mondays. I especially like that this book says that it is OK to mourn, cry, and feel sad about what may be happening, but it doesn't leave you there. You go step by step through the process until you are at a point of confidence and victory, where all that was lost can be recovered. I absolutely love this book and have recommended it to all my friends.

If you've ever wondered why some people come through difficult times better and stronger and others seem to get stuck in a tailspin, this book will open your eyes. Brian Zahnd's look at the 10 steps King David went through to overcome the worst day of his life is so simple and compelling, you'll wonder how you never saw it before. I had several ah ha moments while reading this book. This is a MUST READ for anyone going through a difficult time.

When you read this book, it may help you or someone you know going through a tough time. With many people losing their jobs, companies folding, and the price of living still rising, this is the perfect book for the perfect time. Many people are frightened right now and are wondering if they are next. If something horrible does happen, people need to know how to handle the situation and this book will take you step by step on that process. I pray that if you are going through a hard time that God will use this book to help you over come those obstacles in your life.