My Lowest for His Highest: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus in the Midst of Broken Dreams

by Kat Shultis

Even in the hardest things, we get to fix our eyes on the God who brings us out of the dark night.

Broken dreams. Discouragement. Grief. Kathryn Shultis has been there. In My Lowest for His Highest, Kathryn shares with honesty and depth about walking through valleys and days of wilderness. Kathryn delves into the heart of our heavenly Father when you find yourself amidst a story that is not what you’d hoped it to be.

How do you set your eyes on heaven when your life has not turned out as planned? How do you walk through hard seasons of disappointment and learn to heal? Kathryn goes deep into discussing our identity in Christ and how we can rely on Him for comfort, peace, and purpose in all circumstances. You will find your heart strengthened and encouraged as you travel with Kathryn—through her triumphs and failures—and discover the hope of persevering in the love and power of Jesus. You will learn to dance upon life’s disappointment and come out stronger on the other side.

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Danielle Dammeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I praise God for how He has worked in Kat Shultis’ life to show her His love and presence in the midst of sorrow. My Lowest for His Highest is the story of how Shultis has learned God’s comfort when her dreams of being an Olympic runner were dashed to pieces by an injury. She makes several good points and references quite a bit of Scripture.

However, I did not enjoy this book. The writing quality is so poor that I found it distracting. I’ve enjoyed the content Shultis shares on social media. Not everyone is called to or gifted in writing.

This book might be a good read for a middle school or lower high school student. I think I was looking for something a little more mature. There are other more robust books on a theology of suffering and loss that I would recommend before this one.

*This book was gifted to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Beth]

“Life on this side of Heaven is not easy, but we have another set of lungs ready to breathe life into us when our hearts get too heavy.”

[Kristina Rickard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book— especially since my story is surprisingly very parallel to the author’s (even down to the details of high school running injuries, quitting college running, miscarriage)!! I felt like the author made some great points and referenced a lot of good Christian authors and scriptures. But overall I felt like the tone was a little off.

I felt like the book represented more of our culture’s response to grief (positivity/avoiding/cheerleading) rather than scriptural lament (deep wrestling and crying out to God). I truly have had the richest experiences with God in my ugliest, most broken moments. I think the author was trying to convey that point, but it was easily lost in her efforts to be positive.

Personally, I was bothered by how much running was mentioned. The overemphasis on running felt a little out of touch in the face of a world full of deep, ugly suffering. I really didn’t understand why the author spoke more of her running injuries than miscarriages.

I think what Shultis was trying to convey is commendable. I think it may be helpful for the younger generation. However, I’m sad that the book came off as a bit underdeveloped and surfacy for such an important topic.

[Tia Westad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything said in this book is good & biblically sound. I think my biggest critique is just that it’s very basic. If you’ve spent any time in the church, you’ve probably heard most, if not all of these things before. And like I said, everything in it is good- just feels very repetitive. She also mentioned her running injury all the time which is a very niche thing to struggle with. Again, not bad, but I didn’t feel super engaged or interested since I didn’t relate to her pain.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I’m the intended audience for this book. It may have worked for me in my 20s with a general crisis of identity and purpose, but it just felt like a lot of spiritual bypassing and cheerleading that didn’t meet me in the depths of some of the things I’ve walked and am walking through in my 40s.
The conversational style makes me think the author is a good motivational speaker in churches to youth and young adults.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This book explores how Christians can find hope and rest in God, even when they are dealing with broken dreams and questioning why God would let something bad happen to them. Kat Shultis writes in a vulnerable, honest way about her own suffering, sharing life lessons and spiritual truths that she learned while dealing with a running injury in high school that led to ongoing pain and further injuries. She writes about how difficult it was to deal with her dreams falling apart, since she had counted on running as her ticket to college and had put her identity in being fast and successful. She uses her personal experiences to illustrate broader truths about dealing with suffering, disappointment, and doubt, and she unpacks stories and teachings from the Bible to show how we can cope with and grow through life's challenges.

My Lowest for His Highest is full of hard-won wisdom and emotional honesty. Shultis shares helpful perspectives about processing deep losses, honoring God in the midst of suffering, finding your identity in Christ instead of your own accomplishments, and learning how to dream again. She also writes about common issues like dealing with envy and learning to celebrate others even when you're disappointed. The truths in this book will be familiar to anyone who has attended a good church for any length of time, and there's nothing new here, but I appreciate how Shultis illustrates these truths by sharing personal stories about loss, including the loss of children through miscarriage. Her reflections will resonate with people who have experienced similar struggles, and give her greater credibility as she unpacks biblical teaching.

This is a sincere, heartfelt book that shares core spiritual truths about dealing with disappointment and loss, especially when that loss changes your view of yourself and your future. When it comes to the overall message, there's nothing new here for longtime Christians, but many readers, especially young women, will appreciate and relate to the author's personal stories. This book will especially appeal to many high school girls and college-aged women, and can be helpful for new believers.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Whitley Zitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m in a very difficult and faith testing season of life at the moment, so I have been reading a lot of books about enduring/surviving it. This book is pretty surface level I would say. It mostly filled with verses and thoughts that most seasoned Christians already know well. But I still loved it. We all could use the gentle reminder that God has not forgotten us. That even when things suck, he is still good. I also related to the college athlete aspect of it. I very much relate to this author: her personal struggle with infertility, we also both run for fun, etc. I really liked this book, but it would be most beneficial for newer Christians.

[Tomecio Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kat Shultis ate it UP with this one. Literally so clearly speaking God’s word from page 1😭😭 if I could underline every sentence in this book I would because it is all just such a good reminder about our lives as Christians and how they won’t be easy but that is okay! Such a good read for literally anyone who has ever been disappointed or grieved over hard situations in life… which should apply to everyone. Which means that this book is a good read for everyone.

[Mackenzie Reagor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly appreciated this book and its message however I found it a little repetitive and it read like a Bob Goff book. If that’s your cup of tea take it though! I was just looking for a little more depth.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good! This book is not only so encouraging, but packed full of Biblical truths!

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving it a 5 because I can relate so much to a lot of Kat’s story and definitely just was what I needed to hear based on the season of life I’m in right now!

[Mandi Pausley · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are in Highschool, college or are a runner this could be a great book to read if you struggle. Not finding myself in any of those categories I couldn’t draw much takeaway from it, and the repeated telling of the authors injury was overkill for me.