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Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things
Sara Hagerty masterfully draws from her own story of spiritual and physical barrenness to birth in readers a new longing for God. With exquisite storytelling and reflection, Hagerty guides readers to a tender place that God is holding just for them—a place where he shapes the bitterness of lost expectations into deep, new places of knowing Him.
In the age of fingertip access to answers and a limitless supply of ambitions, where do we find the God who was birthed in dirt and straw? Sara Hagerty found him when life stopped working for her. She found him when she was a young adult mired in spiritual busyness and when she was a new bride with doubts about whether her fledgling marriage would survive. She found him alone in the night as she cradled her longing for babies who did not come. She found him as she kissed the faces of children on another continent who had lived years without a mommy’s touch.
In Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, Hagerty masterfully draws from the narrative of her life to craft a mosaic of a God who leans into broken stories. Here readers see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, they see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well
Whatever lost expectations readers are facing—in family, career, singleness, or marriage—Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet will bring them closer to a God who longs for them to know him more. What does it look like to know God’s nearness when life breaks? What does it mean to receive his life when earthly life remains barren? How can God turn the bitterness of unmet desire into new flavors of joy?
With exquisite storytelling and reflection, Hagerty brings readers back to hope, back to healing, back to a place that God is holding for them alone—a place where the unseen is more real than what the eye can perceive. A place where every bitter thing is sweet.
In the age of fingertip access to answers and a limitless supply of ambitions, where do we find the God who was birthed in dirt and straw? Sara Hagerty found him when life stopped working for her. She found him when she was a young adult mired in spiritual busyness and when she was a new bride with doubts about whether her fledgling marriage would survive. She found him alone in the night as she cradled her longing for babies who did not come. She found him as she kissed the faces of children on another continent who had lived years without a mommy’s touch.
In Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, Hagerty masterfully draws from the narrative of her life to craft a mosaic of a God who leans into broken stories. Here readers see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, they see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well
Whatever lost expectations readers are facing—in family, career, singleness, or marriage—Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet will bring them closer to a God who longs for them to know him more. What does it look like to know God’s nearness when life breaks? What does it mean to receive his life when earthly life remains barren? How can God turn the bitterness of unmet desire into new flavors of joy?
With exquisite storytelling and reflection, Hagerty brings readers back to hope, back to healing, back to a place that God is holding for them alone—a place where the unseen is more real than what the eye can perceive. A place where every bitter thing is sweet.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2014
199 people are currently reading
3997 people want to read
About the author
Sara Hagerty
8 books360 followersSara Hagerty is a lover of words, a student of God and His Word, a wife to the man she married first and fell deliriously in love with about ten years later (it’s true), and a mom of seven (gulp). She is a Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and has written several books – her most recent being The Gift of Limitations, released via Zondervan in March of 2024.
Long before she was a writer, Sara was a reader. She spent childhood afternoons with her bony frame folded up in the corner swivel chair of her parents’ sunroom, lost in the pages of a story.
Other than in the pages of a book, her favorite place to write is on substack – it’s a quieter, more focused place for her to craft words about her reach for God and to invite readers into that strange nexus of raw honesty and wonder.
Though writing and reading are both her passions, she clocks most of her time with the people under her roof and those within her five-mile radius. She’s graduated several of her children, and yet she’s still teaching her little ones to write letters and tie shoes. Every day at 10 am, she’s tromping through the woods that line her home with those of her kids still 10 and under. Life surely hasn’t been what she expected, and she writes about finding Him amid the chaos, the pain, and the beauty of those surprises.
Connect with Sara on:
Substack (where she writes the most)
SaraHagerty.net
Facebook
Instagram
Long before she was a writer, Sara was a reader. She spent childhood afternoons with her bony frame folded up in the corner swivel chair of her parents’ sunroom, lost in the pages of a story.
Other than in the pages of a book, her favorite place to write is on substack – it’s a quieter, more focused place for her to craft words about her reach for God and to invite readers into that strange nexus of raw honesty and wonder.
Though writing and reading are both her passions, she clocks most of her time with the people under her roof and those within her five-mile radius. She’s graduated several of her children, and yet she’s still teaching her little ones to write letters and tie shoes. Every day at 10 am, she’s tromping through the woods that line her home with those of her kids still 10 and under. Life surely hasn’t been what she expected, and she writes about finding Him amid the chaos, the pain, and the beauty of those surprises.
Connect with Sara on:
Substack (where she writes the most)
SaraHagerty.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
February 3, 2016
I always feel like I need to defend 1 star reviews. Goodreads states that 1 star means "I didn't like it." There you go. I didn't loathe this book; I simply didn't like it. Several reviewers have noted Hagerty's whining tone. I agree. There is a gift to writing about one's inner struggles without coming across whiny or self-absorbed, and Hagerty was not able to do this. But what I find most disturbing in the book is what appears to be a lack of healthy community in a church and body of believers. The few times that church or a group from church is mentioned (baby showers, bible studies) she is always on the defensive. Church simply brings up painful memories or ideas to her. People from church don't get her. People can't connect with her because she is alone in this. She is quick to dismiss baby showers and discussions with women about babies and birth. But what about single women? Single men? Widows and widowers? People who didn't get to/have yet to experience marriage? There is no push to look outside of her own immediate situation and look at all the types of people God has brought together. What of other people's struggles? What of other people's joys? Where is the sharing of these things? In sharp contrast, Wendell Berry's chapter on "The Membership" in Hannah Coulter comes to mind. These were people who had experienced deep loss, deep poverty, deep hurt, and yet they experienced it all together. Leaned on each other together. I see none of this in Hagerty's book. I see unfortunate "Lone Rangering" in the suffering department and perhaps an idolization of family that leads to a narrow view of what God's goodness looks like.
September 25, 2014
Every Bitter Thing is Sweet by Sara Hagerty sounded like the perfect book for me. Tasting the goodness of God in all things. A lesson I could continue to learn.
Yet, I just could. not. get. into. this. book. It made my head hurt. While the writing is good, Sara seems to whine a lot. And while she has reasons to whine, I never quite get the lessons out of her stories that she is trying to teach.
Sara struggled with infertility and finally came to the conclusion of adoption. I got the sense from her that this wasn't good enough and only at the end of the book, when she does have her own child, does she make it seem like everything fell into place and God did this all for the good of them. I wonder if she would be ending the book this way had she not been able to conceive her own child. I didn't get that feeling.
I found parts of this book to be rambling and sometimes didn't even see what the point was trying to get across. I really wanted to like this book but had to end up skimming the rest.
Yet, I just could. not. get. into. this. book. It made my head hurt. While the writing is good, Sara seems to whine a lot. And while she has reasons to whine, I never quite get the lessons out of her stories that she is trying to teach.
Sara struggled with infertility and finally came to the conclusion of adoption. I got the sense from her that this wasn't good enough and only at the end of the book, when she does have her own child, does she make it seem like everything fell into place and God did this all for the good of them. I wonder if she would be ending the book this way had she not been able to conceive her own child. I didn't get that feeling.
I found parts of this book to be rambling and sometimes didn't even see what the point was trying to get across. I really wanted to like this book but had to end up skimming the rest.
October 7, 2014
"A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet." Proverbs 27:7, NKJV
I loved reading Sara Hagerty's story, hearing about the yearnings of her heart, and appreciating the model she provides for very slowly, randomly, surprisingly learning to trust God. And herself. Maybe Sara teaches us how to tell about our own struggles in ways that will benefit others, too?
Some reviewers interpreted Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things mostly as mostly about the author's more than a dozen years' long inability to conceive and birth a biological child, but I feel that part of the book's all but peripheral. Like many of us, Sara had major problems with openness and vulnerability, and she tells us about sometimes intentionally, at other times almost accidentally opening herself to her husband, her kids, to God. She describes theologies not only spoken, but also worn (and within!) with our entire beings!
Several times Sara refers to the covenant relationship she has with her husband. We live in the mercy-filled, loving sovereignty of the God who covenants, the God who remembers, and this includes God remembering that we humans frequently forget. In the copy of the book I received, chapter 14 is all about "The One Who Remembers."
Every Bitter Thing is Sweet demonstrates Sara's daily solid grounding in scripture―in my theological tradition, that would include a close parallel of being grounded in the sacraments. A snippet of scripture heads each chapter; scripture passages "For Your Continued Pursuit" conclude each chapter. I hope you'll visit Sara's Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet site and blog, too!
Because amazon vine sent me a prepublication copy that's missing the foreword by Katie Davis – and possibly other features – I only can comment on Sara's own words.
"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him." Psalm 34:8, MSG
I loved reading Sara Hagerty's story, hearing about the yearnings of her heart, and appreciating the model she provides for very slowly, randomly, surprisingly learning to trust God. And herself. Maybe Sara teaches us how to tell about our own struggles in ways that will benefit others, too?
Some reviewers interpreted Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet: Tasting the Goodness of God in All Things mostly as mostly about the author's more than a dozen years' long inability to conceive and birth a biological child, but I feel that part of the book's all but peripheral. Like many of us, Sara had major problems with openness and vulnerability, and she tells us about sometimes intentionally, at other times almost accidentally opening herself to her husband, her kids, to God. She describes theologies not only spoken, but also worn (and within!) with our entire beings!
Several times Sara refers to the covenant relationship she has with her husband. We live in the mercy-filled, loving sovereignty of the God who covenants, the God who remembers, and this includes God remembering that we humans frequently forget. In the copy of the book I received, chapter 14 is all about "The One Who Remembers."
Every Bitter Thing is Sweet demonstrates Sara's daily solid grounding in scripture―in my theological tradition, that would include a close parallel of being grounded in the sacraments. A snippet of scripture heads each chapter; scripture passages "For Your Continued Pursuit" conclude each chapter. I hope you'll visit Sara's Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet site and blog, too!
Because amazon vine sent me a prepublication copy that's missing the foreword by Katie Davis – and possibly other features – I only can comment on Sara's own words.
"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him." Psalm 34:8, MSG
October 14, 2014
About the Book:
In the age of fingertip access to answers and a limitless supply of ambitions, where do we find the God who was birthed in dirt and straw? Sara Hagerty found him when life stopped working for her. She found him when she was a young adult mired in spiritual busyness and when she was a new bride with doubts about whether her fledgling marriage would survive. She found him alone in the night as she cradled her longing for babies who did not come. She found him as she kissed the faces of children on another continent who had lived years without a mommy s touch.
In Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, Hagerty masterfully draws from the narrative of her life to craft a mosaic of a God who leans into broken stories. Here readers see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, they see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well.
Whatever lost expectations readers are facing in family, career, singleness, or marriage Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet will bring them closer to a God who longs for them to know him more. What does it look like to know God s nearness when life breaks? What does it mean to receive his life when earthly life remains barren? How can God turn the bitterness of unmet desire into new flavors of joy?
With exquisite storytelling and reflection, Hagerty brings readers back to hope, back to healing, back to a place that God is holding for them alone a place where the unseen is more real than what the eye can perceive. A place where every bitter thing is sweet."
About the Author:
Sara is a wife to Nate and a mother of five whose arms stretched wide across the ocean to Africa. After almost a decade of Christian life she was introduced to pain and perplexity and, ultimately, intimacy with Jesus. God met her and moved her when life stopped working for her. His Word and His whisper took on new shape and form to her in the dark. Sara writes regularly about life-delays, finding God in the unlikely, motherhood, marriage and adoption at www.EveryBitterThingisSweet.com.
My Review:
Sara Hagerty had learned to live with the understanding that she would never have a child. But she remembered all the good times, God was with her. Through her teenage years and her early ministry, He helped her through the hardest of times.
When she was first married, she had doubts like any other newlywed. But through the love of her sweet husband and the grace of God she found her way through it. As the time comes for the happy couple to start making plans to extend their family, Sara and her husband feel incomplete and lost because they are having some trouble in that area.
Soon God places on their hearts the idea of adoption and its not long before their hearts are wanting to take in more babies than they had ever imagined. Sara tells of her experiences with God in a beautiful way to encourage and inspire us all. She chose God over bitterness! She wants us to walk away from reading her book feeling confident in God and all He is able to do in your life, if you just allow Him to.
I loved her book, her message and I pray that it inspires many!
If you would like to learn more about this book, you can here.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher.
In the age of fingertip access to answers and a limitless supply of ambitions, where do we find the God who was birthed in dirt and straw? Sara Hagerty found him when life stopped working for her. She found him when she was a young adult mired in spiritual busyness and when she was a new bride with doubts about whether her fledgling marriage would survive. She found him alone in the night as she cradled her longing for babies who did not come. She found him as she kissed the faces of children on another continent who had lived years without a mommy s touch.
In Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, Hagerty masterfully draws from the narrative of her life to craft a mosaic of a God who leans into broken stories. Here readers see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, they see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well.
Whatever lost expectations readers are facing in family, career, singleness, or marriage Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet will bring them closer to a God who longs for them to know him more. What does it look like to know God s nearness when life breaks? What does it mean to receive his life when earthly life remains barren? How can God turn the bitterness of unmet desire into new flavors of joy?
With exquisite storytelling and reflection, Hagerty brings readers back to hope, back to healing, back to a place that God is holding for them alone a place where the unseen is more real than what the eye can perceive. A place where every bitter thing is sweet."
About the Author:
Sara is a wife to Nate and a mother of five whose arms stretched wide across the ocean to Africa. After almost a decade of Christian life she was introduced to pain and perplexity and, ultimately, intimacy with Jesus. God met her and moved her when life stopped working for her. His Word and His whisper took on new shape and form to her in the dark. Sara writes regularly about life-delays, finding God in the unlikely, motherhood, marriage and adoption at www.EveryBitterThingisSweet.com.
My Review:
Sara Hagerty had learned to live with the understanding that she would never have a child. But she remembered all the good times, God was with her. Through her teenage years and her early ministry, He helped her through the hardest of times.
When she was first married, she had doubts like any other newlywed. But through the love of her sweet husband and the grace of God she found her way through it. As the time comes for the happy couple to start making plans to extend their family, Sara and her husband feel incomplete and lost because they are having some trouble in that area.
Soon God places on their hearts the idea of adoption and its not long before their hearts are wanting to take in more babies than they had ever imagined. Sara tells of her experiences with God in a beautiful way to encourage and inspire us all. She chose God over bitterness! She wants us to walk away from reading her book feeling confident in God and all He is able to do in your life, if you just allow Him to.
I loved her book, her message and I pray that it inspires many!
If you would like to learn more about this book, you can here.
**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher.
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February 12, 2015
Oh, I am so torn! I want to give this book four stars, but there is a serious editing problem within this book. Sara is a wonderful and sensitive writer, so honest and vulnerable. I enjoyed her poetic descriptions, for sure. However, for most of the book, I was lost, trying to regain my footing. The sections within the chapters are disjointed and choppy, moving back and forth in time in a way that is unclear. Many of the pronouns never give an antecedent, so I moved through story after story, not knowing who had been doing what. I understand the need to protect identities or be cautious when relating heart issues, but some things were presented too vaguely to understand. An example would be that I never understood what happened to her father the first time he appeared sick. Was it part of the event that happened later or was it something different? Also many phrases in this book are obviously repeated, and not just to create parallelism. It feels as if they were just overlooked when compiling several of her blog posts on a similar theme. I connected with this book on many levels and wish a better style of editing had been employed to give this book the clarity it deserves.
October 6, 2014
A beautiful story of our breathtaking God fills the pages of Every Bitter Thing is Sweet. With every chapter, Sara draws the reader nearer to the heart of God. The central question, “Is He good—to me?” is explored through various trials and answered with an unequivocal “yes.” While marriage struggles, infertility, and adoption comprise the main events of this book, the profound meaning that Sara draws out of these events will resonate with a wide audience. Anyone who is drowning in a performance-driven life, longing for the fulfillment of deferred dreams, or seeking an authentic relationship with God will find themselves in this story and will be led to a deeper understanding of God in the process. I know I will return to this book time and again as I continue pursuing Him.
April 12, 2015
There are a handful of books that wedge themselves gently and purposefully into my soul. This is one of them. An unsuspecting gift. Sara Hagerty pens her story of barrenness and the undoing that leads her to a deep discovery of new life breathed in her heart- life breathed from the Life Giver Himself. Every Bitter Thing is Sweet is as much story as it is deep introspection. I imagine Sara's words reflect those she journaled over years of pouring her heart out to her Father God. This book is a gift to any who open it's pages. It will lead you to places deep in your own story and deeper still into the deepest story of all- the one where your story intersects intimately with Christ's. I highly recommend this book to any one who has ever felt pain- the whole human race.
October 6, 2014
At age 15 when I first caught a glimpse of the God of the Bible, I began to fall in love with Him. I was certain then that I would always be fascinated in discovering this beautiful God! Looking back now, over a decade later, I have learned that the process of life has a certain way of wearing and tearing one down from that initial love-struckness. I've done my best in clinging to my dearest Friend Jesus that I first encountered over 10 years ago, but throughout the journey I have honestly struggled. Sara's book has been one of the most encouraging and impactful books that I have ever read on remembering the goodness of God's beautiful heart in every season of my life. Her own vulnerability creates a unique invitation to the reader to follow suite, and realize that all of life - especially the difficulties - is an invitation to personally draw near to our God in a perpetual discovering of His beautiful heart for us. To the man and to the woman that loves God, and longs to only grow more in love throughout the progression of life: this book is a must-read.
July 8, 2017
"He is the God who remembers."
I could have finished this book in a week...maybe even two days, but I had to let each page sink in and resonate with my heart. Never have I read a Christian book that directed my thoughts and gaze back to scripture and the Father's love more than this one has. I think I could read it over and over in different phases of life and learn something new about the goodness of God. Whether you can relate to her story of infertility or adoption challenges (which I hope you cannot) or not, we all know pain in some form. The way Sara Hagerty shares her story and journey through pain and brokenness in such a raw way that leads into a realization of the need for a never-ending healing, through Christ as Healer, is one that I will carry forever. I cannot recommend this book enough.
I could have finished this book in a week...maybe even two days, but I had to let each page sink in and resonate with my heart. Never have I read a Christian book that directed my thoughts and gaze back to scripture and the Father's love more than this one has. I think I could read it over and over in different phases of life and learn something new about the goodness of God. Whether you can relate to her story of infertility or adoption challenges (which I hope you cannot) or not, we all know pain in some form. The way Sara Hagerty shares her story and journey through pain and brokenness in such a raw way that leads into a realization of the need for a never-ending healing, through Christ as Healer, is one that I will carry forever. I cannot recommend this book enough.
July 25, 2016
Sara believes differently about some things than I do, so some parts of this book were hard for me to get into and understand. For example, I don't believe in a "one" that God perfectly lead me to; I believe that who to marry is a decision made by us alone, so when she talks about God giving her a contentious marriage in order to teach her about Himself it fell pretty flat. It sounded to me like Sara and her husband got married too fast and lacked adequate communication and conflict resolution skills, and most definitely would have benefitted from some marriage counseling early on. Some tough times are not things we just have to deal with, but show us things about ourselves that need to be managed and not left to fester.
The other aspect of this book that was troubling to me was the way that Sara talked about adoption. On page 134, discussing 2 of her 4 adopted children Sara uses the phrase "they were made to be in my home". No, Sara, they were not made to be in your home. They were made to live with their biological parents in their home country, but through the brokenness and evil of the world they found themselves homeless orphans. Adoption is a redemption, it is not the plan all along; God doesn't create children to make them orphans and He doesn't create them to be ripped away from their homeland because of tragedy. I was also uncomfortable with the feeling that Sara gave that she was rescuing these children. While adoption is a rescue from the life they were living, it just gave me a "white savior" concern; after all, American adoption from Africa will always have undertones of "privileged white family saves poor black children". Although, perhaps this is more of an indication of my own discomfort with international adoption.
Overall, I found Sara's writing to be beautiful and encouraging. When we have a faith in God, going through hard times can draw us closer or push us farther from Him, and she paints a picture of how to find the gold nugget in all the crap. The overarching painful story in this memoir is the one of Sara's own infertility, and while there is much to get out of this from those who have not dealt with the inability to bear children, those who have or are going through that will relate a little more closely to the story. I do have to wonder though, if Sara was not finally pregnant after more than 10 years, would she be writing this book? Would she still be finding the sweetness in the pain if not all of her trouble times had come with happy endings? While I am thrilled for her, there are so many who never receive that "yes" at the end of the road.
The other aspect of this book that was troubling to me was the way that Sara talked about adoption. On page 134, discussing 2 of her 4 adopted children Sara uses the phrase "they were made to be in my home". No, Sara, they were not made to be in your home. They were made to live with their biological parents in their home country, but through the brokenness and evil of the world they found themselves homeless orphans. Adoption is a redemption, it is not the plan all along; God doesn't create children to make them orphans and He doesn't create them to be ripped away from their homeland because of tragedy. I was also uncomfortable with the feeling that Sara gave that she was rescuing these children. While adoption is a rescue from the life they were living, it just gave me a "white savior" concern; after all, American adoption from Africa will always have undertones of "privileged white family saves poor black children". Although, perhaps this is more of an indication of my own discomfort with international adoption.
Overall, I found Sara's writing to be beautiful and encouraging. When we have a faith in God, going through hard times can draw us closer or push us farther from Him, and she paints a picture of how to find the gold nugget in all the crap. The overarching painful story in this memoir is the one of Sara's own infertility, and while there is much to get out of this from those who have not dealt with the inability to bear children, those who have or are going through that will relate a little more closely to the story. I do have to wonder though, if Sara was not finally pregnant after more than 10 years, would she be writing this book? Would she still be finding the sweetness in the pain if not all of her trouble times had come with happy endings? While I am thrilled for her, there are so many who never receive that "yes" at the end of the road.
December 18, 2015
I've highlighted so many quotes that I hope to take with me and actually remember. I'm very thankful for that and to have read her (His) story.
Hagerty's writing took a little getting used to; it kinda feels like small blog snippets that somehow connect to one another. I have since read a few of her posts on different websites and now enjoy this style. Yes, there is some whining and the "no one understands me" mindset as other readers have pointed out, but we've ALL been there and felt the same way, especially during tough, dark times- so I say cut her some slack there. It is also something to point out that this book is heavily about adoption (before and after) and infertility.
Even if this isn't something you are dealing or have dealt with, there is still so much to take away from in developing your OWN relationship with God, communication WITH Him (as a partner), and what "adoration" means. Figuring out the MANY different "hats" God wears. Figuring out how to see and love others through His eyes, not ours.
This is a beautiful story of a person wanting more from God and finding it- like we all will find if we just ask. It is a story about what to do when your "inability to respond with trust, to lean, to rest peacefully in what God could do, but hadn't done [exposes]" you---see Him as near, knowing the Truth, even when you don't feel Him.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"I was a different woman than the one I had been before my life unraveled, because God had become to me a different God than the one I'd contrived Him to be when it all was working as it should."
"Fear loses oxygen when every moment suspends itself under the purpose of bringing Him glory, of knowing His name, and His nature. Sometimes, instead of leading us up and out of those very fears, big and small, He lets us live them. He gives us over to them. Because it's in this giving over to our fears that we find the perfect love that frees us from them. Forever."
"We realized that our lives aren't, in fact, a series of rewards for doing things 'right.' They are strung-together surprises that continue to speak more of who He is than who we aren't.... Look! Not at what is happening to us but at what that says about God."
"Because when I choose hope, when I choose to engage in that awkward intimacy of believing that He might say no when asking expectantly that He say yes, He gets the most beautiful part of me."
Hagerty's writing took a little getting used to; it kinda feels like small blog snippets that somehow connect to one another. I have since read a few of her posts on different websites and now enjoy this style. Yes, there is some whining and the "no one understands me" mindset as other readers have pointed out, but we've ALL been there and felt the same way, especially during tough, dark times- so I say cut her some slack there. It is also something to point out that this book is heavily about adoption (before and after) and infertility.
Even if this isn't something you are dealing or have dealt with, there is still so much to take away from in developing your OWN relationship with God, communication WITH Him (as a partner), and what "adoration" means. Figuring out the MANY different "hats" God wears. Figuring out how to see and love others through His eyes, not ours.
This is a beautiful story of a person wanting more from God and finding it- like we all will find if we just ask. It is a story about what to do when your "inability to respond with trust, to lean, to rest peacefully in what God could do, but hadn't done [exposes]" you---see Him as near, knowing the Truth, even when you don't feel Him.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"I was a different woman than the one I had been before my life unraveled, because God had become to me a different God than the one I'd contrived Him to be when it all was working as it should."
"Fear loses oxygen when every moment suspends itself under the purpose of bringing Him glory, of knowing His name, and His nature. Sometimes, instead of leading us up and out of those very fears, big and small, He lets us live them. He gives us over to them. Because it's in this giving over to our fears that we find the perfect love that frees us from them. Forever."
"We realized that our lives aren't, in fact, a series of rewards for doing things 'right.' They are strung-together surprises that continue to speak more of who He is than who we aren't.... Look! Not at what is happening to us but at what that says about God."
"Because when I choose hope, when I choose to engage in that awkward intimacy of believing that He might say no when asking expectantly that He say yes, He gets the most beautiful part of me."
April 29, 2015
Junk
This is one loooong lament over her "barrenness", a term I find offensive, that ends with her dreams coming true. As a woman with infertility, I find her constant moaning irritating. At some point, you must accept what God has given you. Let go of dreams He has deferred. This author hangs on steadfastly and continues to wail over it.
As an adoptive mom, I am offended by her continued wailing AFTER bringing kids home. Seriously, get some professional help. Adoption DOES NOT cure infertility, nor the feelings of loss. However, bringing children from HARD places into your home requires you to LET GO of you. Focus on those hurting littles. Pray for their healing. Quit focusing on the yourself.
The pregnancy reveal at the end was just another gut punch. She spent THE WHOLE BOOK lamenting her barren womb, only to reveal she is actually expecting. I'd be happy for her if she presented a better attitude through out the book.
This is one loooong lament over her "barrenness", a term I find offensive, that ends with her dreams coming true. As a woman with infertility, I find her constant moaning irritating. At some point, you must accept what God has given you. Let go of dreams He has deferred. This author hangs on steadfastly and continues to wail over it.
As an adoptive mom, I am offended by her continued wailing AFTER bringing kids home. Seriously, get some professional help. Adoption DOES NOT cure infertility, nor the feelings of loss. However, bringing children from HARD places into your home requires you to LET GO of you. Focus on those hurting littles. Pray for their healing. Quit focusing on the yourself.
The pregnancy reveal at the end was just another gut punch. She spent THE WHOLE BOOK lamenting her barren womb, only to reveal she is actually expecting. I'd be happy for her if she presented a better attitude through out the book.
September 12, 2015
There are a few golden nuggets in this book, but overall, I found not that every bitter thing is sweet, but that out of all of the bitterness, the author could only find sweetness in one or two things. I loved her concept of hope and her dedication to prayer is admirable, but she seems so discontent the majority of the time when God has blessed her with a loving husband--whom some that long for never get to experience--and FOUR adopted children--not an easy road, but wow, can she not find joy in her circumstances? I felt her writing style tried WAY TO HARD to be poetry. She is telling her story, not writing a poem. She has not found the balance. And within her chapters, her small stories did not seem to connect. Too many pronouns--again, TRYING, to be poetic--leaving me wondering WHO is this little story about?? A story that should be sweet, leaves me with a bitter taste.
June 15, 2015
This was the book I opened up on my Kindle in every waiting room, the words I stared at through tears during that night of false labor. It was no coincidence that as little reading I did during that time, it was Sara Hagerty’s book that kept me company through what turned out to be a very hard, high-risk pregnancy. With astounding honesty, Sara shares the bitter of her journey. Death, infertility, marriage struggles–she doesn’t gloss over the heartache and the anger. But she is also generous in sharing the beauty of the sweetness she’s found, often in the midst of–or because of–those very toughest spots. A read that will tear your heart apart and put it back together again.
November 22, 2018
Jesus IS beautiful, Sara Hagerty. What a stunningly written book, with profound truths wrapped in a story told over a decade of time. Whatever your current and past hurt is, know that you can hope in a good healer NOW, not just for the future. His healing spans all times. I will never forget the chapter entitled “the glorious mundane” for giving me enlightenment on some frustration so very quotidian to my life. And my favorite one liners “His adoration is fuel for my life” and “You become what you behold.” Recommend to all.
May 27, 2019
I think this is the book I'd been looking for on infertility and waiting on God. I've read others that were somewhat helpful, but this is the one where I can tell the author really knows how much waiting hurts AND does a great job of reminding me of answers to the tough questions that pop up over and over again in the waiting rooms of life.
The only other thing I can say is that I made me cry rather a lot. Recommended.
The only other thing I can say is that I made me cry rather a lot. Recommended.
June 15, 2017
(4.8)
I've not had a problem with infertility, but I've definitely been in the situation where everyone's lives seem to be perfect and coming together and enjoying life, while I would be in the corner feeling as though nothing was ever going to be ok and wonderng if I would ever be happy again. I've been there, wondering 'Why me, God?' and how my hurt would possibly be for God's glory and my good. This book was a reminder that God sees more than I can and will never change His desires (His glory and my good) for my desires (finite and selfish). While I was reading this, I kept remembering things that were seemingly inconsequential by themselves became a way for God to show me Him. Even the day this book arrived was one of those moments.
Note: Someone (I can't remember who, sorry!) mentioned that she does end up pregnant and it seems out of place after all that she talks in this book. I can see how it could seem that way, so just ignore the epilogue.
Recommended 13+, simply because anyone younger probably won't get the full effect of the book.
I've not had a problem with infertility, but I've definitely been in the situation where everyone's lives seem to be perfect and coming together and enjoying life, while I would be in the corner feeling as though nothing was ever going to be ok and wonderng if I would ever be happy again. I've been there, wondering 'Why me, God?' and how my hurt would possibly be for God's glory and my good. This book was a reminder that God sees more than I can and will never change His desires (His glory and my good) for my desires (finite and selfish). While I was reading this, I kept remembering things that were seemingly inconsequential by themselves became a way for God to show me Him. Even the day this book arrived was one of those moments.
Note: Someone (I can't remember who, sorry!) mentioned that she does end up pregnant and it seems out of place after all that she talks in this book. I can see how it could seem that way, so just ignore the epilogue.
Recommended 13+, simply because anyone younger probably won't get the full effect of the book.
June 2, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book, but I definitely skimmed through parts. The author tends to write in choppy sentences, and leaves a lot of detail out. I assume she is trying to generalize her story, so that readers can relate, but it ends up just leaving me wanting to know what she actually went through and not just how she felt while she was going through "something vague." The best takeaway for me was learning about her practice of "Adoration, " or using Scripture to speak truth about God's character back to God. This practice allowed the author to free herself from her negative thoughts and in turn began to know God better and change her perspective on her life circumstances. I have implemented this practice into my daily walk with God, and for that I would recommend this book. But you can definitely speed-read it =)
July 14, 2022
This just wasn't my type of book, even though I did enjoy her story. Part of why I didn't love this book was simply the style (very flowery language) and some of it was not what I expected.
I appreciated Hagerty sharing her story, but I expected there to be more practical applications because of how this book was described by the publisher. As it is, it's more just her story that you can glean from it what you will.
This would be a great book for younger readers dealing with life not going as expected, those who love poetic expression in their non-fiction, and for those who struggle with infertility/adoption struggles looking for someone like them.
I appreciated Hagerty sharing her story, but I expected there to be more practical applications because of how this book was described by the publisher. As it is, it's more just her story that you can glean from it what you will.
This would be a great book for younger readers dealing with life not going as expected, those who love poetic expression in their non-fiction, and for those who struggle with infertility/adoption struggles looking for someone like them.
October 7, 2014
Quote From The book flap:
“Here you will see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, you see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well.” Sara Hagerty takes her everyday life situations and shows God’s purpose and plan for each situation and more importantly shows how to listen when God speaks to your heart.
When I first started reading this book, I thought it would be another book about infertility and almost put it in my “to read later” pile, but as I kept turning the pages I couldn’t put it down because I found things that began to relate to my life. It has left me “longing to know more”. Although I have been a Christian for many, many years, I often long to feel the closeness of God in bad situations that Sara feels. I often find myself begging God to talk with me and show me the way and am often disappointed when it feels there is no answer. Sara shows through her life story you can have that kind of relationship, but it is something you have to work at and have to be willing to put God first. I think that is often the downfall of me and probably most of us, because when troubling situations arise, I forget to pray about them before I act, rather than praying after nothing I have tried works.
This is a book I will read again but this time with pen and paper as there are many scriptures listed after each chapter to help you continue your pursuit in learning God’s truths. This book could easily be used as a women’s group Bible Study.
Eventhough this was a difficult review for me to write, because I am struggling with so many emotions that came to surface while reading it, I would highly recommend this book especially if you are struggling with things in your life that leave you unhappy and wanting more of God in your life.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this Book by the publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
“Here you will see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, you see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well.” Sara Hagerty takes her everyday life situations and shows God’s purpose and plan for each situation and more importantly shows how to listen when God speaks to your heart.
When I first started reading this book, I thought it would be another book about infertility and almost put it in my “to read later” pile, but as I kept turning the pages I couldn’t put it down because I found things that began to relate to my life. It has left me “longing to know more”. Although I have been a Christian for many, many years, I often long to feel the closeness of God in bad situations that Sara feels. I often find myself begging God to talk with me and show me the way and am often disappointed when it feels there is no answer. Sara shows through her life story you can have that kind of relationship, but it is something you have to work at and have to be willing to put God first. I think that is often the downfall of me and probably most of us, because when troubling situations arise, I forget to pray about them before I act, rather than praying after nothing I have tried works.
This is a book I will read again but this time with pen and paper as there are many scriptures listed after each chapter to help you continue your pursuit in learning God’s truths. This book could easily be used as a women’s group Bible Study.
Eventhough this was a difficult review for me to write, because I am struggling with so many emotions that came to surface while reading it, I would highly recommend this book especially if you are struggling with things in your life that leave you unhappy and wanting more of God in your life.
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this Book by the publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
October 6, 2014
Every Bitter Thing is Sweet is a treasure. Sara Hagerty made me hungry to know God more deeply. She beautifully decribes the journey to knowing God more fully by allowing him greater access to our hearts. Sara’s honest stories of God meeting her in the dark places revealed constant God’s invitation to her in pain. She identifies a lens that allows us to see gold in the struggle and the mundane. Whether your pain is similar to Sara’s or not, you will find truth that can be applied to your story. This book is a new favorite of mine. I believe it will become one of yours too.
March 1, 2015
Oh my gosh! This book is amazing. She talks about the walk in a new way, in a way my soul totally resonates with and needed to hear. There are some very strong similarities here with Amy Carmichael. Her writing style kept taking by me back to Amy's poetry. So beautiful yet so painful. So needy, hungry, searching, seeking, emptiness. I loved reading this book. So beautiful. This is Christ interacting with a soul.
June 29, 2015
A beautifully written account of God's speaking through the pain of marriage troubles, infertility and adoptions to pull the author closer into relationship with Him. So much of experiencing hardships is isolating, and Sara Hagerty reaches up into God's arms and deep into His word for comfort and understanding. Her hunger for His Word and her heart for healing really excites me to seek Him more fervently.
May 22, 2014
Beautiful, beautiful book by my dear friend Sara. Read this!!
October 25, 2014
This book was thought provoking and insightful, as sara invites readers to engage with The Lord in the midst of pain. Her words stuck with me
November 25, 2014
Beautiful writing and such truth on these pages. I loved it.
March 24, 2018
It’s spring time. I woke up this morning to many inches of snow, and it is still coming down. I say all this because I went outside and took a picture of my flowers that are coming up because of the warm weather we were having the past couple days. Today the flowers are being covered and drowning in piles of snow; peeking out amongst the white.
The last words in the book which title is, “Every Bitter Thing is Sweet” are: “Winter and Spring: He is Healer in both.”
I thought how completely fitting and perfect for what I captured this morning. How perfectly fitting in what I fully believe God wanted me to see and understand this wintery spring day.
This book flows perfectly with the analogy of honey. It’s the perfect reference of bittersweet. God finds us in the bitter moments of our lives and that’s where the story lies. It’s not in our answers to prayers that our story begins it’s within the storms of life that the sweetness of God is found.
I loved the authors story. I loved how it made me realize that we all have a story. We all connect the same way and are unified to God because of our stories. Though all of us carry different burdens and joys, we are all the same.
Nothing about Sara’s story equaled mine. Though I connected completely with how she felt. We are all universal that way. We all feel the same pain from different circumstances and we all have the same loving Father who loves us equally. Her story inspired me. It was a great story. It gave me hope and understanding.
“Like any good story, time revealed it’s layers.”
I recommend this to anyone who finds comfort reading other people’s stories. It will make you feel like you are not alone, and that’s a beautiful thing!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars.
The last words in the book which title is, “Every Bitter Thing is Sweet” are: “Winter and Spring: He is Healer in both.”
I thought how completely fitting and perfect for what I captured this morning. How perfectly fitting in what I fully believe God wanted me to see and understand this wintery spring day.
This book flows perfectly with the analogy of honey. It’s the perfect reference of bittersweet. God finds us in the bitter moments of our lives and that’s where the story lies. It’s not in our answers to prayers that our story begins it’s within the storms of life that the sweetness of God is found.
I loved the authors story. I loved how it made me realize that we all have a story. We all connect the same way and are unified to God because of our stories. Though all of us carry different burdens and joys, we are all the same.
Nothing about Sara’s story equaled mine. Though I connected completely with how she felt. We are all universal that way. We all feel the same pain from different circumstances and we all have the same loving Father who loves us equally. Her story inspired me. It was a great story. It gave me hope and understanding.
“Like any good story, time revealed it’s layers.”
I recommend this to anyone who finds comfort reading other people’s stories. It will make you feel like you are not alone, and that’s a beautiful thing!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars.
January 14, 2025
For all the girls thinking, “My question was not, is God good? But instead, is He good to me?” To know God as Healer is a relationship, not a moment.
November 14, 2017
Hands down my favorite non-fiction book.
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