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Seeing in the Dark: Finding God's Light in the Most Unexpected Places
Christians are supposed to be “the light of the world.” Yet we seem to spend most of our time stumbling in the dark. We want answers carved in stone, and instead we get uncertainty. We want a clearly marked path and a panoramic view of the future, and God gives us only fleeting glimpses of what lies ahead―and just enough light to take the next step.
So what do we do?
We take the next step.
In her much anticipated follow-up to Looking for God , Nancy Ortberg takes readers on a journey that began thousands of years ago. From an ancient cave in Turkey to the California coast, Nancy highlights the often unexpected, sometimes imperceptible, yet always extraordinary means God uses to light our way through even the most painful and challenging moments in life.
So what do we do?
We take the next step.
In her much anticipated follow-up to Looking for God , Nancy Ortberg takes readers on a journey that began thousands of years ago. From an ancient cave in Turkey to the California coast, Nancy highlights the often unexpected, sometimes imperceptible, yet always extraordinary means God uses to light our way through even the most painful and challenging moments in life.
- GenresFaith
192 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2015
6 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Ortberg
9 books8 followersNancy Ortberg is the Director of Leadership Development at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, in Northern California, and the author of Seeing in the Dark: Finding God's Light in the Most Unexpected Places and Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands, Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership. A highly sought-after speaker, Nancy has been a featured presenter at the Catalyst and Orange conferences, and has been a regular contributor to Rev! Magazine. She and her husband, John, live in the Bay Area and have three grown children: Laura, Mallory, and Johnny.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 5, 2015
There books that come into our lives at just. the. right. time. Nancy Ortberg's book called 'Seeing in the Dark' is one of those special books. She talks about the times of our lives when God can be silent or elusive. When the pain we live though is so difficult, we can't seem to rise above it.
But rather than give the reader pat answers or be condemning of those days (weeks, months, years), she offers hope. One quote that rang out to me was: 'The dark is what allows you to see." She'd talked about how the stars are so hard to see when you live in the city. You might see a few, but not anywhere near the number when you sit in the countryside without the city lights blinding your view. The dark allows you to see. And the darkness we experience often gives us a glimpse of God we'd not be aware of when life is fun and games. Not feeling much fun and games lately, so her gentle teaching of being aware of God's presence was very dear to me.
She tells of a time when the Lord came to her and she saw herself sitting across from him. Her concern at that time was about one of her children. She pulled her child from behind her back, placing her between her and the Lord. Repeatedly He must've moved the child back behind her, because she over and over brought her daughter forward. Finally, she got it. It, whatever it was, was between her and God, not her, her daughter and God. Just the two of them.
I think we often try to manipulate God, begging Him to see things from our perspective, shoving our needs in His face. He knows. He wants us to stop and let things go.
She writes: "This is about you and me. And the only light you need right now is the light you see. The light that shows you the steps toward me. If you let that be enough, your heart will be at ease. Your grip on control will slacken, and you will live in that bit of light, which is the right place for you to live right now. That small piece of light will enable you to be with your child in a nonanxious way and let me do my work. If you move out of that small piece of light, the darkness will be great. You must find a way to live here and to find your way back here when you move away."
A blessing for sure.
(i received this book free to review from Tyndale publishers)
But rather than give the reader pat answers or be condemning of those days (weeks, months, years), she offers hope. One quote that rang out to me was: 'The dark is what allows you to see." She'd talked about how the stars are so hard to see when you live in the city. You might see a few, but not anywhere near the number when you sit in the countryside without the city lights blinding your view. The dark allows you to see. And the darkness we experience often gives us a glimpse of God we'd not be aware of when life is fun and games. Not feeling much fun and games lately, so her gentle teaching of being aware of God's presence was very dear to me.
She tells of a time when the Lord came to her and she saw herself sitting across from him. Her concern at that time was about one of her children. She pulled her child from behind her back, placing her between her and the Lord. Repeatedly He must've moved the child back behind her, because she over and over brought her daughter forward. Finally, she got it. It, whatever it was, was between her and God, not her, her daughter and God. Just the two of them.
I think we often try to manipulate God, begging Him to see things from our perspective, shoving our needs in His face. He knows. He wants us to stop and let things go.
She writes: "This is about you and me. And the only light you need right now is the light you see. The light that shows you the steps toward me. If you let that be enough, your heart will be at ease. Your grip on control will slacken, and you will live in that bit of light, which is the right place for you to live right now. That small piece of light will enable you to be with your child in a nonanxious way and let me do my work. If you move out of that small piece of light, the darkness will be great. You must find a way to live here and to find your way back here when you move away."
A blessing for sure.
(i received this book free to review from Tyndale publishers)
January 21, 2016
There is so much truth in this book. I was very encouraged that the dark path I've walked since my granddaughter's death is the right path. It is good to sit in the dark and wait for God to meet me and comfort me.
August 31, 2015
I recieved this book courtesy of Christian Audio for the purpose of writing a review.
Narrator Thoughts: While not an author read book, I thought that this author did a very good job of reading this book. Her voice is very pleasent. Like a happy grandmother reading a book to you.
Book Thoughts: Frist I want to say that I didn't finish this book. I listened to the first three chapters.
I thought that Nancy made some good points and was encouraging. As I continued to read the book I found myself agreeing with her on most points.
Still I felt like the book lacked good structure. I felt like she would begin a thought and then get sidetracked with another point. Like I said they were good points, but I felt like it wasn't organized well.
Overall I think that the style of the book was not one that speaks to me. I wasn't finidng it worth continuing, but maybe that was just me.
You can buy this on Christian Audio or Amazon.
Narrator Thoughts: While not an author read book, I thought that this author did a very good job of reading this book. Her voice is very pleasent. Like a happy grandmother reading a book to you.
Book Thoughts: Frist I want to say that I didn't finish this book. I listened to the first three chapters.
I thought that Nancy made some good points and was encouraging. As I continued to read the book I found myself agreeing with her on most points.
Still I felt like the book lacked good structure. I felt like she would begin a thought and then get sidetracked with another point. Like I said they were good points, but I felt like it wasn't organized well.
Overall I think that the style of the book was not one that speaks to me. I wasn't finidng it worth continuing, but maybe that was just me.
You can buy this on Christian Audio or Amazon.
July 4, 2015
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Tyndale Press in exchange for an honest review.]
Although this book is short, coming in at 150 pages or so of main material, followed by a short excerpt from another one of the author’s books and a random but interesting benediction at the end, this book is full of rich material about faith and hope, and the circumstances where they are developed and nurtured, that manages to pack a far larger punch than its size would initially indicate. A measure of this book’s elegant and well-crafted prose is that I started dog-earing pages that had particularly quotable passages, until I realized I had at least a dozen or more such pages dogeared with quotes going on for more than a page [1]. At that moment, I realized it would be futile to share all of the great quotes of this book, and that I must convey as simply as possible that this book is rich in insightful and worthy advice, much of which comes from the stories of personal experience, and grief observed and shared with others.
In terms of its contents, this book begins with a series of chapters about darkness and closes with several chapters about light. It is well organized, and each of the chapters is fairly economical in size–about twenty pages of small paper. The sentences are short, and there is nothing in this book that is technically challenging to a reader. Some of the sentences might even be described as fragmentary, depending as they do on a very conversational tone that uses the same implied subject for sentences on end. This is the sort of prose that may not be appreciated by a writing professor, but it certainly reads conveniently and well for a wide audience from at least the middle school or high school level. That said, the book also manages to include a great deal of thoughtful quotation and commentary from scripture, including a few Greek words of interest, and weaves its easy-to-understand material with deeply thoughtful material.
What is most striking about this book, and easiest to appreciate, is that this book deals so forthrightly and honestly with darkness. It does not seek to resolve tension easily, or to ignore the reality of the darkness of the lives that we live, but neither does it wallow in that darkness or allow the darkness to make us cynical or hopeless. Instead, the author draws attention to the experience of small moments of small amounts of light in immense periods of darkness, to the times when we are caught in between, where our heartfelt longings remain unfulfilled, where we are called upon to wait for God to act and to possess our souls in patience in the meantime. In these difficult times, these periods of dormancy when it appears as if we are wasting time and spinning our wheels in vain, the author reminds us that much change is going on beneath the surface, and that it is these moments that give us the strength of character and the beauty in spirit to be more than we could be otherwise. It is in drawing strength and beauty out of moments of despair, of honest and heartfelt wrestling with God, that we become better people, and that our faith and hope and love are strengthened. This is a short and encouraging book that deserves careful reading, occasional rereading, and is likely to be a well-appreciated gift or loan from friends to each other as a way of comforting others who dwell in the darkness and are trying to see the light of God in that dark place where some of us spend years, or even decades, of our melancholy but ultimately triumphant existence.
[1] Some of the most notable samples are below:
“Stories are powerful, but stories from brokenness, stories that intersect with another’s pain–that, my friend, is life-changing stuff. This is gospel. Good news. Great news, really. It is the same power that puts us in the fight for justice, for serving the poor and the marginalized in the name of Jesus. It’s what keeps us, in the face of overwhelming odds, going the other direction, using hope as a shield for the fight against human trafficking, poverty, and inequitable access to health care, education, and work.” p.43
***
“Interestingly, my parents ended up reconciling a year later, and until the day my father died in 1990, they were together. But it took me years of counseling, talking through things with friends, and wrestling with God to understand the full impact all of this had on me. There were long seasons, especially through high school and college, when I found it laughable that it had affected me at all. Perhaps those years of denial explain why it took so long before this issue bubbled to the surface and I was finally forced to look at it.
There’s one other thing I remember from this time. An occasional, faint whisper. Not even a whisper, really–more like a soul presence. Every once in a while, on that cold tile counter, along with the terror I felt, there was an accompanying presence–a sense that I was not as alone as it seemed. The small awareness that I was not on my own.” p. 4-5
***
“But this isn’t a movie. It’s a film about a real time, with real people who took life-defying risks for others, with nothing in it for themselves except the pleasure of acting out of the deepest parts of their souls–the parts that were forged over hundreds of years, on the backs of their parents and grandparents and great-great-greats.
That kind of strength doesn’t come from a wish to be a certain kind of person. It comes from the darkness, from living there long enough to see the light–a thin sliver at first, but light nonetheless. And realizing that the light is God. And that God, who has been there in the darkness all along, is stronger than any darkness that ever was.
That kind of experience shifts the pieces of our souls and reconstructs them until we become people who say yes without a second thought. Yes to helping when it inconveniences us, when it threatens us, when it taxes us. Yes to solidarity with others in their pain, when our lives may be just fine. This is the yes of the gospel.” p. 67
Although this book is short, coming in at 150 pages or so of main material, followed by a short excerpt from another one of the author’s books and a random but interesting benediction at the end, this book is full of rich material about faith and hope, and the circumstances where they are developed and nurtured, that manages to pack a far larger punch than its size would initially indicate. A measure of this book’s elegant and well-crafted prose is that I started dog-earing pages that had particularly quotable passages, until I realized I had at least a dozen or more such pages dogeared with quotes going on for more than a page [1]. At that moment, I realized it would be futile to share all of the great quotes of this book, and that I must convey as simply as possible that this book is rich in insightful and worthy advice, much of which comes from the stories of personal experience, and grief observed and shared with others.
In terms of its contents, this book begins with a series of chapters about darkness and closes with several chapters about light. It is well organized, and each of the chapters is fairly economical in size–about twenty pages of small paper. The sentences are short, and there is nothing in this book that is technically challenging to a reader. Some of the sentences might even be described as fragmentary, depending as they do on a very conversational tone that uses the same implied subject for sentences on end. This is the sort of prose that may not be appreciated by a writing professor, but it certainly reads conveniently and well for a wide audience from at least the middle school or high school level. That said, the book also manages to include a great deal of thoughtful quotation and commentary from scripture, including a few Greek words of interest, and weaves its easy-to-understand material with deeply thoughtful material.
What is most striking about this book, and easiest to appreciate, is that this book deals so forthrightly and honestly with darkness. It does not seek to resolve tension easily, or to ignore the reality of the darkness of the lives that we live, but neither does it wallow in that darkness or allow the darkness to make us cynical or hopeless. Instead, the author draws attention to the experience of small moments of small amounts of light in immense periods of darkness, to the times when we are caught in between, where our heartfelt longings remain unfulfilled, where we are called upon to wait for God to act and to possess our souls in patience in the meantime. In these difficult times, these periods of dormancy when it appears as if we are wasting time and spinning our wheels in vain, the author reminds us that much change is going on beneath the surface, and that it is these moments that give us the strength of character and the beauty in spirit to be more than we could be otherwise. It is in drawing strength and beauty out of moments of despair, of honest and heartfelt wrestling with God, that we become better people, and that our faith and hope and love are strengthened. This is a short and encouraging book that deserves careful reading, occasional rereading, and is likely to be a well-appreciated gift or loan from friends to each other as a way of comforting others who dwell in the darkness and are trying to see the light of God in that dark place where some of us spend years, or even decades, of our melancholy but ultimately triumphant existence.
[1] Some of the most notable samples are below:
“Stories are powerful, but stories from brokenness, stories that intersect with another’s pain–that, my friend, is life-changing stuff. This is gospel. Good news. Great news, really. It is the same power that puts us in the fight for justice, for serving the poor and the marginalized in the name of Jesus. It’s what keeps us, in the face of overwhelming odds, going the other direction, using hope as a shield for the fight against human trafficking, poverty, and inequitable access to health care, education, and work.” p.43
***
“Interestingly, my parents ended up reconciling a year later, and until the day my father died in 1990, they were together. But it took me years of counseling, talking through things with friends, and wrestling with God to understand the full impact all of this had on me. There were long seasons, especially through high school and college, when I found it laughable that it had affected me at all. Perhaps those years of denial explain why it took so long before this issue bubbled to the surface and I was finally forced to look at it.
There’s one other thing I remember from this time. An occasional, faint whisper. Not even a whisper, really–more like a soul presence. Every once in a while, on that cold tile counter, along with the terror I felt, there was an accompanying presence–a sense that I was not as alone as it seemed. The small awareness that I was not on my own.” p. 4-5
***
“But this isn’t a movie. It’s a film about a real time, with real people who took life-defying risks for others, with nothing in it for themselves except the pleasure of acting out of the deepest parts of their souls–the parts that were forged over hundreds of years, on the backs of their parents and grandparents and great-great-greats.
That kind of strength doesn’t come from a wish to be a certain kind of person. It comes from the darkness, from living there long enough to see the light–a thin sliver at first, but light nonetheless. And realizing that the light is God. And that God, who has been there in the darkness all along, is stronger than any darkness that ever was.
That kind of experience shifts the pieces of our souls and reconstructs them until we become people who say yes without a second thought. Yes to helping when it inconveniences us, when it threatens us, when it taxes us. Yes to solidarity with others in their pain, when our lives may be just fine. This is the yes of the gospel.” p. 67
November 2, 2021
I'm so glad I read this book; Nancy Ortberg is a very gifted author! I enjoyed the content of this book as she looked at the topic of finding God's light in unexpected places, often using experiences from her own life as illustrations. I gained an immense respect for her ability to deftly turn a phrase while adding to the enjoyment of the book without causing your mind to have to work hard to process a metaphor (some authors such as Chuck Swindoll seem to do that--he's much easier to listen to than to read). Her insights were an encouragement to me. Recommended.
April 7, 2019
Seeing in the Dark was a series of reflections on difficult moments in the author's life. I didn't get much from it because the chapters were winding paths without any end point. They were vague, but not in a profound or mystical way. I get the feeling this would not have been published if this was her first work.
July 31, 2018
Just a amazing uplifting book
June 6, 2021
Love her work.
July 23, 2017
Key idea for me in this book is that you have to stay in the darkness for a while for your eyes to adjust. Be still and allow God to make Himself known, even in the times of less light.
September 22, 2015
This review first appeared on my blog, Jacob's Café (jacobscafe.blogspot.com).
The dark night of the soul is one of my passion areas because of the way it can help us reframe priorities, grow, and strip away extraneous parts of our lives. Unfortunately, some books on the topic over-spiritualize a dark night too much and try to find answers where sometimes the point is not having an answer at all.
Nancy Ortberg's latest book, Seeking in the Dark: Finding God's Light in the Most Unexpected Places does not make the mistake of explaining away dark places. While she doesn't really talk about a "dark night," that's exactly the experience she describes. She poignantly notes the way tragedy can impact our lives without watering it down or explaining it away like so many Christian authors can do. Rather, he emphasizes the need to let these experiences be as they are. The describes the pain and doesn't try to change it in any way. She acknowledges and accepts reality. And that's what allows us to move forward. As Ortberg says in quoting Dallas Willard, "God only meets us in one place, and that's reality."
She does acknowledge the challenges of the dark times, especially when they're in contrast to good times: “Living in between is hard work. It’s much simpler to make a choice, color it black or white, draw a line. But even though this living in between is more difficult, it’s better. Definitely better. What lies in between is nuance, richness, and meaning. It���s only in the in-between that we can live in color, with heartaches and joys combining hues.” There is more difficulty in living with complexity, but how much richer is life?
I find these times often help give great clarity to priorities and the meaning in life. When we over-spiritualize, theologize, minimize, or other-ize pain and darkness, the power behind them is often lost. I found Ortberg's work to be moving and reinforcing of where I should put my values and efforts.
Ortberg also does a nice job of connecting dark nights to later movement in improving the world. She states, "Stories are powerful, but stories from brokenness, stories that intersect with another’s pain–that, my friend, is life-changing stuff. This is gospel. Good news. Great news, really. It is the same power that puts us in the fight for justice, for serving the poor and the marginalized in the name of Jesus. It’s what keeps us, in the face of overwhelming odds, going the other direction, using hope as a shield for the fight against human trafficking, poverty, and inequitable access to health care, education, and work.”
We often try to avoid the pain, but it is usually because of our brokenness and pain that we are able to meet others where they are at and help bring hope to others in their darkness.
I listened to the audiobook version, which was well-done. The narrator spoke with enough inflection and passion that the book seemed to be her own (in contrast to many audiobooks that seem dry).
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The dark night of the soul is one of my passion areas because of the way it can help us reframe priorities, grow, and strip away extraneous parts of our lives. Unfortunately, some books on the topic over-spiritualize a dark night too much and try to find answers where sometimes the point is not having an answer at all.
Nancy Ortberg's latest book, Seeking in the Dark: Finding God's Light in the Most Unexpected Places does not make the mistake of explaining away dark places. While she doesn't really talk about a "dark night," that's exactly the experience she describes. She poignantly notes the way tragedy can impact our lives without watering it down or explaining it away like so many Christian authors can do. Rather, he emphasizes the need to let these experiences be as they are. The describes the pain and doesn't try to change it in any way. She acknowledges and accepts reality. And that's what allows us to move forward. As Ortberg says in quoting Dallas Willard, "God only meets us in one place, and that's reality."
She does acknowledge the challenges of the dark times, especially when they're in contrast to good times: “Living in between is hard work. It’s much simpler to make a choice, color it black or white, draw a line. But even though this living in between is more difficult, it’s better. Definitely better. What lies in between is nuance, richness, and meaning. It���s only in the in-between that we can live in color, with heartaches and joys combining hues.” There is more difficulty in living with complexity, but how much richer is life?
I find these times often help give great clarity to priorities and the meaning in life. When we over-spiritualize, theologize, minimize, or other-ize pain and darkness, the power behind them is often lost. I found Ortberg's work to be moving and reinforcing of where I should put my values and efforts.
Ortberg also does a nice job of connecting dark nights to later movement in improving the world. She states, "Stories are powerful, but stories from brokenness, stories that intersect with another’s pain–that, my friend, is life-changing stuff. This is gospel. Good news. Great news, really. It is the same power that puts us in the fight for justice, for serving the poor and the marginalized in the name of Jesus. It’s what keeps us, in the face of overwhelming odds, going the other direction, using hope as a shield for the fight against human trafficking, poverty, and inequitable access to health care, education, and work.”
We often try to avoid the pain, but it is usually because of our brokenness and pain that we are able to meet others where they are at and help bring hope to others in their darkness.
I listened to the audiobook version, which was well-done. The narrator spoke with enough inflection and passion that the book seemed to be her own (in contrast to many audiobooks that seem dry).
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
July 9, 2015
I had watched her countless times and felt the same wonder each time. She would manage to move about in the darkness without a hitch. She could walk, run, jump, leap and chase as if all was in the light before her. Her actions were all due to a cat’s ability to see in the dark. As for me, I tend to grope in the dark, often bumping into a wall here or there.
Life often feels like a walk in the dark. God seems to ask us to take the next step in our journey even when we aren’t sure there is a next step, or we cannot see where the next step would be.
In her book, Seeing in the Dark: Finding God’s Light in the Most Unexpected Places, Nancy Ortberg examines the life of faith. She states:
“Perhaps that is what most of our faith journey is: learning to see in the dark.”
My problem lies in the fact that I would much rather journey in the light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12, NLT). In those moments when life has seemed darkest, I discovered I was most aware of my need of the Light. It was in the darkness, I knew I needed more of Him, if I were going to be able to navigate through the dark.
That same verse continues: “If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
We won’t need to walk in darkness because His Light is not able to be extinguished. His Light, present at creation, will continue on through all eternity. Sure it may seem to lessen at times, perhaps flicker, but it will always be present and capable of overcoming the darkness.
“In the darkness, it’s easy to miss what is truly life. The darkness begs us for a knockoff. It wants to cheat us. It wants us to wrestle ourselves out of the darkness so quickly that we fail to stay there and wait … wait for the light to show us where next to put our feet. It tricks us into easy answers and superficial directions, all the while leaving us hungry for the life that is truly life.
His wonderful light – light that offers us the life we were created for. Light that comes out of and into our darkness.”
(from pages 126-127)
I found this book to bring much encouragement, infusing my faith, pressing me towards His light. It was a beautiful reminder of the extraordinary ways in which God lights the way before us even in the most painful and challenging of days. He never leaves us in the dark. May you feel His blessing today …
“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious toward you
and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)
****Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I am disclosing this as required by Federal Trade Commission.
Life often feels like a walk in the dark. God seems to ask us to take the next step in our journey even when we aren’t sure there is a next step, or we cannot see where the next step would be.
In her book, Seeing in the Dark: Finding God’s Light in the Most Unexpected Places, Nancy Ortberg examines the life of faith. She states:
“Perhaps that is what most of our faith journey is: learning to see in the dark.”
My problem lies in the fact that I would much rather journey in the light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12, NLT). In those moments when life has seemed darkest, I discovered I was most aware of my need of the Light. It was in the darkness, I knew I needed more of Him, if I were going to be able to navigate through the dark.
That same verse continues: “If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
We won’t need to walk in darkness because His Light is not able to be extinguished. His Light, present at creation, will continue on through all eternity. Sure it may seem to lessen at times, perhaps flicker, but it will always be present and capable of overcoming the darkness.
“In the darkness, it’s easy to miss what is truly life. The darkness begs us for a knockoff. It wants to cheat us. It wants us to wrestle ourselves out of the darkness so quickly that we fail to stay there and wait … wait for the light to show us where next to put our feet. It tricks us into easy answers and superficial directions, all the while leaving us hungry for the life that is truly life.
His wonderful light – light that offers us the life we were created for. Light that comes out of and into our darkness.”
(from pages 126-127)
I found this book to bring much encouragement, infusing my faith, pressing me towards His light. It was a beautiful reminder of the extraordinary ways in which God lights the way before us even in the most painful and challenging of days. He never leaves us in the dark. May you feel His blessing today …
“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious toward you
and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26)
****Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I am disclosing this as required by Federal Trade Commission.
August 11, 2015
Funny how often I receive a book that contains precisely the message I need to hear at that given moment. Case in point: it took only a few pages for me to connect with the author of Seeing in the Dark, to feel she understood exactly where I am these days–and to know she had something wise to say about it.
Where am I, exactly? Well, neither here nor there, really. I find myself in a place of transition, on so many levels. And transition–where few things feel settled or certain–can be hard for a girl like me who likes to know.
These days I’m aware as never before of the complexity and texture of life. Not much appears as black and white. Instead my world is filled with shifting circumstances and challenges that require near constant discernment. Which feels a lot like darkness, where what I need most is Light to guide me.
Apparently Nancy Ortberg agrees. She says:
“Living in between is hard work. It’s much simpler to make a choice, color it black or white, draw a line. But even though this living in between is more difficult, it’s better. Definitely better. What lies in between is nuance, richness, and meaning. It’s only in the in-between that we can live in color, with heartaches and joys combining hues.”
Ortberg reveals her strength as a mentor in not only her transparency, but also in her grasp of metaphor and ability to relate her circumstances to her readers’. I found her reflections on “living torn” and the reality of life’s hard paradoxes both comforting and encouraging: “…embracing pain may be one of the deepest and most profound ways to abundant life…. The in-between space is where God meets us and grows us in our understanding of who he is. Only tested faith is a personal possession.”
Scarcely 120 pages long, Seeing in the Dark is a quick but potentially invaluable resource for anyone who’s struggling to know their way, and who longs to learn from someone who’s been there.
Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.
Where am I, exactly? Well, neither here nor there, really. I find myself in a place of transition, on so many levels. And transition–where few things feel settled or certain–can be hard for a girl like me who likes to know.
These days I’m aware as never before of the complexity and texture of life. Not much appears as black and white. Instead my world is filled with shifting circumstances and challenges that require near constant discernment. Which feels a lot like darkness, where what I need most is Light to guide me.
Apparently Nancy Ortberg agrees. She says:
“Living in between is hard work. It’s much simpler to make a choice, color it black or white, draw a line. But even though this living in between is more difficult, it’s better. Definitely better. What lies in between is nuance, richness, and meaning. It’s only in the in-between that we can live in color, with heartaches and joys combining hues.”
Ortberg reveals her strength as a mentor in not only her transparency, but also in her grasp of metaphor and ability to relate her circumstances to her readers’. I found her reflections on “living torn” and the reality of life’s hard paradoxes both comforting and encouraging: “…embracing pain may be one of the deepest and most profound ways to abundant life…. The in-between space is where God meets us and grows us in our understanding of who he is. Only tested faith is a personal possession.”
Scarcely 120 pages long, Seeing in the Dark is a quick but potentially invaluable resource for anyone who’s struggling to know their way, and who longs to learn from someone who’s been there.
Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.
August 16, 2015
"Someone once said that faith is not a personal possession until you have suffered. That person understood that the very nature of faith requires the grit and courage to be in the dark so you can eventually see in the dark. Then faith becomes faith.:
This is just one of the many of the underlined and starred excerpts in the book Seeing In The Dark by Nancy Ortberg. This book is her long awaited sequel to Looking for God, which I have not read, but hope to in the future.
If you've ever gone through a rough patch in life, and you wonder what God is up to and how on earth things will ever change, this book will be an encouragement to you to sit and wait until you can 'see in the dark'. Until you have done this, says Ortberg, you will not "hear the whisper or see the flicker".
It's where we actually are, not where we want to be or hope to be, that God works. His kingdom becomes real to us exactly where we are.
And Ortberg reminds me that although God sometimes makes His presence known in strong and unmistakable ways, other times it's in the quiet, little things. Some random 'coincidence', words of encouragement from a friend, being inspired by a beautiful sight that reminds me of how big God is, or a word read at just the right time.
There are a lot of jewels in this book, and it's definitely worth buying a hard copy, because no doubt you will want to underline some of those truths and reread this book or lend it to a friend.
I received this book free from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.
This is just one of the many of the underlined and starred excerpts in the book Seeing In The Dark by Nancy Ortberg. This book is her long awaited sequel to Looking for God, which I have not read, but hope to in the future.
If you've ever gone through a rough patch in life, and you wonder what God is up to and how on earth things will ever change, this book will be an encouragement to you to sit and wait until you can 'see in the dark'. Until you have done this, says Ortberg, you will not "hear the whisper or see the flicker".
It's where we actually are, not where we want to be or hope to be, that God works. His kingdom becomes real to us exactly where we are.
And Ortberg reminds me that although God sometimes makes His presence known in strong and unmistakable ways, other times it's in the quiet, little things. Some random 'coincidence', words of encouragement from a friend, being inspired by a beautiful sight that reminds me of how big God is, or a word read at just the right time.
There are a lot of jewels in this book, and it's definitely worth buying a hard copy, because no doubt you will want to underline some of those truths and reread this book or lend it to a friend.
I received this book free from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2015
Reading Seeing in the Dark by Nancy Ortberg was more like reading a themed series on a blog than a book about spiritual growth. The theme of this book is finding God in unexpected places (when we are miserable, lonely, or have doubts) and I feel that Ortberg hits her theme spot on. The stories were built around the author’s life, relationships, and experiences. The writing is terrific, the tone is personal and the stories are relatable.
I appreciate the real events the author brings up. Death is something many people fear, yet Ortberg brings and open-minded view of how we shouldn’t let darkness wash over us. While I didn't find her book to be very inspiring, I did enjoy the tone and that while reading page after page I felt like I was sitting down, having coffee with a friend. It's very obvious throughout this book that the author is sharing her interpretations of specific scriptures and I enjoyed the real life and personal examples that went with them.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking answers for finding God. While I wouldn't say this book is a great devotional or Bible study book because the author is sharing stories and thoughts rather than provoking the reader to make their own connections. This won’t be a book that I pick up over and over again to absorb the guidance and advice for my spiritual life but I would still recommend it to someone who is seeking comfort through someone else's spiritual journey.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
I appreciate the real events the author brings up. Death is something many people fear, yet Ortberg brings and open-minded view of how we shouldn’t let darkness wash over us. While I didn't find her book to be very inspiring, I did enjoy the tone and that while reading page after page I felt like I was sitting down, having coffee with a friend. It's very obvious throughout this book that the author is sharing her interpretations of specific scriptures and I enjoyed the real life and personal examples that went with them.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking answers for finding God. While I wouldn't say this book is a great devotional or Bible study book because the author is sharing stories and thoughts rather than provoking the reader to make their own connections. This won’t be a book that I pick up over and over again to absorb the guidance and advice for my spiritual life but I would still recommend it to someone who is seeking comfort through someone else's spiritual journey.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
August 13, 2015
Quite a different book from her last one. This one is all about living with God in times of darkness. Lots of personal stories and thoughts of how learn to travel through darkness until the light shines again, certainly agrees with my personal,experience. "The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out." MSG
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