Grieving God's Way
Margaret Brownley
(Reviewer - Rev. Marie D. Jones)
2004 Winepress Publishing
ISBN: 1579216641

A profoundly elegant & honest book about dealing with, & moving beyond, grief.

Associate Reviewer Rev. Marie D. Jones writes:

Few of us would choose to read a book about grief unless we ourselves were grieving. So great is our fear & denial of emotional pain & suffering that we tend to turn away from such deep inner work. But Margaret Brownley's Grieving God's Way, turned out to be a wonderful treasure that touched me on so many levels & reminded me that grief comes in many sizes, shapes & forms, all of which can be overcome.

Having lost her son to cancer, Brownley's personal experience with tremendous grief shows on the page in the form of wisdom, insight & an honesty that breaks through fear & denial to get to the heart of suffering, & often reveal great life lessons in the process.

With the beautiful haiku of Diantha Ain, another grief survivor having lost a child, Brownley presents dozens of short & insightful chapters that cover all aspects of grief, from the first shock wave of a grave loss, to the latter stages of denial, rage, anger & acceptance, & even beyond to the potential transformation that is hidden in every dark night of the soul.

Using her own experience, & those of others who have suffered great losses, the author guides us along a path that is littered with obstacles, debris & blocks, & does so with such a gentleness, humility & warmth that the reader truly feels as though it is possible to cope with tragic loss & grow to be a better person because of it.

Never does the author lecture, rant, or condescend. Her tone & style is that of a good friend who has been through something she wouldn't wish on the rest of us, & yet knows in her soul will touch each & every one of us at some point in our lives.

The short chapters are wonderful in that they do not overwhelm, proving just enough inspiration & understanding to carry someone who is grieving just one small step forward, which is often more than they can handle. Brownley includes plenty of quotes & suggestions for both the one grieving & family & friends of someone grieving, making Grieving God's Way a mixture of “how-to-cope” & “I understand your pain.”

The book is divided into four sections that mark a progression towards healing. The first section is called Healing the Grieving Body, & focuses on many ways of taking care of yourself physically, through play, travel, walking, being in the sunshine, journaling and finding comfort in small things.

The second section deals with Healing the Grieving Soul which is filled with ways to express grief through art, creativity, visioning, storytelling, self-discovery, solitude & spending time in nature.

Then there is Healing the Grieving Heart which covers helping others heal, choosing the right words to say to someone in mourning, praying, dreamwork, exploring the dark shadow of the soul, working through depression & dealing with marriage during times of grief.

Finally, there is Healing the Grieving Spirit & the inner work of dealing with anger, guilt, shame, forgiveness, finding blessings, leaving a legacy, growing through loss, changing attitudes & finding things to be grateful for again.

Grieving God's Way is written with a very soft Christian tone, & is a priceless book that anyone of any religion can find courage & comfort in.

The Haiku is especially moving, using so few words to convey so much powerful emotion. Even if you are not currently grieving the loss of a loved one, a dream or a goal, Grieving God's Way is a treasure chest of warmth, wisdom & experience that can make any kind of grief, big or small, that much easier to deal with, & grow from.

A beautiful book, beautifully written, that takes us deep into suffering, then carries us out on wings of joyfulness, hope & love.

www.grievinggodsway.com

Romances by Margaret Brownley:
Cry of the Seagull
Wind Song
Petticoats and Pistols
Rawhide and Lace & many more!
(08/29/04)

Rev. Marie D. Jones
2004©Marie D. Jones
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Marie Jones is a New Thought minister, author of Looking For God In All The Wrong Places & a widely published writer of inspirational essays, gift books, short stories & magazine articles. She is also a screenwriter, & has produced a children's storybook video series for Gigglebug Farms Productions. she holds a Masters Degree in Metaphysical Studies & is a licensed pastoral counsellor.