Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful: How Gratitude, Grief, and Grace Reflect the Christian Story

by Drew Hyun

Whether it is hearing an old, familiar song on the radio, being dazzled by the fading light of another sunset, or relishing time spent with a good friend, our lives are often touched by a longing for the good and the beautiful. We grasp for it, longing to hold on, and yet we all know the daily reality of loss and disappointment. We cannot hold on to the things we love and cherish, and inevitably lose the people and things we most love.

The human experience is full of both beauty and disappointment, and throughout history we have tried to make sense of the world that we inhabit and how we can navigate through the tension of all that is good and broken in the world. Yet most of our attempts to avoid loss simply lead to greater anxiety--an unresolved fear that we will eventually lose what we most love and need. Sadly, even our attempts at avoiding loss lead to more anxious lives.

In Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful, Drew Hyun offers a way of understanding the human experience through the Scriptures while offering practices of Gratitude, Grieving, and Grace as ways of centering our lives more fully into a holistic spirituality, showing us why our avoiding loss is not the biblical pathway to experiencing beauty. Because we cannot avoid loss, we must learn to go through it--but we do not do this alone. The good news we desperately need is that the promise of Jesus and his Resurrection gives us hope that helps us to navigate ordinary loss every day. Hyun encourages us to engage with three simple practices--gratitude, grieving, and grace--that can build lasting spiritual resilience as we learn to grow through our loss and disappointment.

Genres: Christian

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2025

Reviews

[Brandon Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

“And yet what continues to bring me back to Jesus is Jesus himself”

[Daniel Im · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, engaging, and compelling introduction to three intriguing, yet often under emphasized themes of the Christian story: gratitude, grief, and grace. If you are interested in Jesus and Christianity, not only do I highly recommend this book because of its content, but I also highly recommend my friend who wrote this book. Drew is the real deal and his vulnerability in this book is profoundly compelling.

[Sneha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. It presents the case for Christianity in an understandable and intellectually honest way. The author speaks from personal experience of growing up in the faith and wrestling with it in his adult years, which is really helpful. He speaks empathetically about the real doubts and concerns skeptics and Christians alike ponder. The book’s discussion of accepting God despite not knowing everything there is to know was really well-explained. Would recommend.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drew writes beautifully; he maintains an honest yet honorable tone as he explores hard topics. He inserts his personality in his writing, and I enjoyed that because it made the book feel more relational. I appreciated his little notes/references that explain his arguments further but aren’t necessarily part of the reading. His questions are also thought provoking and deep, and helpful to engage in conversations with others! I think this would be a great book to read with new believers as it explores the Christian world view with a gentle approach.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a heartfelt intro to Christianity for those who are seeking. It walks readers through the Gospel—creation’s beauty, humanity’s brokenness, and Christ’s redeeming hope. While I hoped for deeper study of grief and grace, Hyun instead ties these themes to the bigger story of Jesus’ rescue mission. His approach is simple and warm and relatable, making it ideal for those exploring faith. It's not heavy on theology, but a warm invitation to see life through God’s restoring love.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be an excellent read and resource for a new Christian, or for someone considering Christianity, or for the not-so-new Christian who is wrestling to understand the role of suffering and disappointment within the Christian worldview. The author’s writing style is personable and conversational while tackling big topics and questions.