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Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert's Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor
How does an introvert love her neighbor?
That's the question that Kendra Broekhuis--newly returned from living overseas with her husband and baby daughter--set out to answer. With humbling honesty about her weaknesses and foibles, Here Goes Nothing chronicles Kendra's thirty-day journey of stepping out in faith to pray for, meet, and love the people closest to her: the ones living in her apartment building.
From leaving quarters for a load of laundry in the basement to baking cupcakes for the downstairs neighbors (and sneaking down the stairs to see if they've taken them) to the hard work of building new friendships, Kendra leans on God's voice in her daily life to push her out of her comfort zone.
Along with plenty of self-deprecating humor about her sometimes bumbling outreach attempts, she shares her growing sense of how close God stands beside her each day. As she works from her surface personality quirks through to her hidden doubts and fears, what emerges is a heartfelt glimpse into what it's like for one awkward introvert to live by faith.
Here Goes Nothing isn't a challenge. It's not a step-by-step plan to make yourself a good neighbor or an upstanding Christian. But it is the warm voice of someone who struggles just like you do--to hear the voice of God, to discern his will, and to love others with all of her introvert heart.
That's the question that Kendra Broekhuis--newly returned from living overseas with her husband and baby daughter--set out to answer. With humbling honesty about her weaknesses and foibles, Here Goes Nothing chronicles Kendra's thirty-day journey of stepping out in faith to pray for, meet, and love the people closest to her: the ones living in her apartment building.
From leaving quarters for a load of laundry in the basement to baking cupcakes for the downstairs neighbors (and sneaking down the stairs to see if they've taken them) to the hard work of building new friendships, Kendra leans on God's voice in her daily life to push her out of her comfort zone.
Along with plenty of self-deprecating humor about her sometimes bumbling outreach attempts, she shares her growing sense of how close God stands beside her each day. As she works from her surface personality quirks through to her hidden doubts and fears, what emerges is a heartfelt glimpse into what it's like for one awkward introvert to live by faith.
Here Goes Nothing isn't a challenge. It's not a step-by-step plan to make yourself a good neighbor or an upstanding Christian. But it is the warm voice of someone who struggles just like you do--to hear the voice of God, to discern his will, and to love others with all of her introvert heart.
288 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2017
25 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Broekhuis
3 books115 followersKendra Broekhuis writes stories about life's heavy stuff with a dose of humor and a lot of love. For her day job, she stays home with her four kids and drives them from one place to another in her minivan. She and her family live in Milwaukee. To get her latest writing updates, subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.kendrabroekhuis.com/newsle....
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 24, 2017
I'm not introverted, but it was still a great read and insightful.
January 1, 2023
I feel a little bad giving this book only two stars and a negative review because I'm sure the author is genuine in her desire to live out the gospel. However, this book just wasn't my favorite. It felt forced, like she undertook some nebulous challenge (to recklessly love her neighbors for 30 days) mostly just to write about it. Plus, then she spent a week just visiting her parents. So those days she wrote what seemed like random rants on topics from Christmas gifts to abortion. There were good thoughts mixed in, but overall it just wasn't my cup of tea.
October 1, 2021
The first couple chapters gave me high hopes for this book, but the rest of the book didn't seem to follow what was set out (like loving her neighbors). Some encouraging and interesting parts, but overall it was disappointing.
January 5, 2019
From the cover to the closing acknowledgements, this book is wonderful.
This book is a cross between a memoir and a devotional. I say memoir because this book chronicles a thirty day period in Broekhuis’ life. But the format of the book—consistent length chapters and reflection questions—lends itself well to reading it as a devotional or in a book club. (I personally read this book as a devotional until the end when I just couldn’t put it down.)
Broekhuis’ down to earth style really endears the reader from the very beginning. Especially if you are an introvert, you can completely relate to the tension between wanting to follow the Lord’s command to love your neighbor and your personality’s natural hesitation to initiate a friendship with people you don’t know. But Broekhuis doesn’t stop there. She powerfully challenges the reader to not use their personality as an excuse to disobey the Lord.
This quote from the end of the book sums up the message of her book well:
“No matter our personality traits, no matter if our love for others is rooted in the deep joy of Christ’s love for us, that still doesn’t make the work easy. There is a beautiful tension to be found between believing in a gospel that completely wrecks a lot of things we have become too comfortable with in this world, and finding peace in both who we are and who Christ is working in us to help us become. I’m at peace with being an introvert, and I’m at peace with the fact that Christ calls me to a reckless kind of love that will at times make my hands feel clammy.” (page 254)
But even if you’re not an introvert, Broekhuis still brings the fire. She has some very challenging words for everyone about generosity (including a brilliant discussion on what “deserve” means), committing to a church, the meaning of giving Christmas gifts, the importance of verbally sharing the gospel with people, the power of prayer, and so much more. As I flip back through my copy of the book I barely go a few pages without seeing something underlined or starred.
All in all, I’m so thrilled that the Lord led me to picking this book off the shelf at Ollies. It has been a wonderful and convicting book and I look forward to sharing it with all my introverted friends.
This book is a cross between a memoir and a devotional. I say memoir because this book chronicles a thirty day period in Broekhuis’ life. But the format of the book—consistent length chapters and reflection questions—lends itself well to reading it as a devotional or in a book club. (I personally read this book as a devotional until the end when I just couldn’t put it down.)
Broekhuis’ down to earth style really endears the reader from the very beginning. Especially if you are an introvert, you can completely relate to the tension between wanting to follow the Lord’s command to love your neighbor and your personality’s natural hesitation to initiate a friendship with people you don’t know. But Broekhuis doesn’t stop there. She powerfully challenges the reader to not use their personality as an excuse to disobey the Lord.
This quote from the end of the book sums up the message of her book well:
“No matter our personality traits, no matter if our love for others is rooted in the deep joy of Christ’s love for us, that still doesn’t make the work easy. There is a beautiful tension to be found between believing in a gospel that completely wrecks a lot of things we have become too comfortable with in this world, and finding peace in both who we are and who Christ is working in us to help us become. I’m at peace with being an introvert, and I’m at peace with the fact that Christ calls me to a reckless kind of love that will at times make my hands feel clammy.” (page 254)
But even if you’re not an introvert, Broekhuis still brings the fire. She has some very challenging words for everyone about generosity (including a brilliant discussion on what “deserve” means), committing to a church, the meaning of giving Christmas gifts, the importance of verbally sharing the gospel with people, the power of prayer, and so much more. As I flip back through my copy of the book I barely go a few pages without seeing something underlined or starred.
All in all, I’m so thrilled that the Lord led me to picking this book off the shelf at Ollies. It has been a wonderful and convicting book and I look forward to sharing it with all my introverted friends.
August 25, 2017
When I saw the subtitle - An Introvert's Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor - I had to pick up this book. I loved it initially, but it lost steam by the end. It was repetitive and felt like it was all reflection and very little action. The subtitle led me to believe that it was about an introvert challenging herself to invest in her community, but it really wasn't. It was just a collection of thoughts on what the author felt like God was teaching her each day. Not what I expected, and I was just So Okay With It.
March 9, 2017
I don't often like non-fiction books, yet I loved reading Here Goes Nothing. The short chapters make this book easy to read, but you'll find yourself reading more than one at a time because the book is hard to put down! The author's humor is refreshing and her message is important. Not only did I enjoy this book, but it has challenged me and encouraged me. I've already bought two extra copies to give to friends.
February 2, 2018
Michigan native, Kendra Broekhuis, writes this nonfiction book about her experiences trying to reach outside of her introverted self to serve the Lord and those around her. It was a good read with some great verses and anecdotes on why we should praise the Lord in more ways than social media #blessed posts. I definitely gained some knowledge about ways to listen more, pray more, and love my neighbor more.
March 16, 2017
I love this book. This book will change your life. As an introvert it can be uncomfortable to strike up conversation and really reach out to people nearest to us. How do we live out being a Christian is in this simple most day to day of loving your neighbor. As Christians we can change the world if we would see and do something about those with needs closest to us.
August 8, 2017
Wonderful read about ways to love your neighbor. This book challenged me to be on the lookout for everyday situations in which I can love and serve my neighbor better. I appreciate the honesty in this book and the stories are real life and could happen to any of us! Thank you for your humor & wisdom, Kendra!
January 17, 2020
Hilarious and Inspiring
Being an introvert myself, I could really relate to Kendra. She makes the difficult task of talking about God to others very doable. Her story-telling is hilarious, but the messages were clear. This would be a great group study book.
Being an introvert myself, I could really relate to Kendra. She makes the difficult task of talking about God to others very doable. Her story-telling is hilarious, but the messages were clear. This would be a great group study book.
May 7, 2023
After returning to the United States after years on the mission field, Kendra does not want to lose the passion for loving her neighbors and get back to “regular” life. She challenges herself to 30 days of listening to God for easy, small ways to care for and acquaint herself with the people living in her new apartment building. Sometimes leaving quarters in the laundry room, sometimes baking cupcakes, sometimes sharing lunch and toting her toddler along, she is intentional about getting out into her community, even as an introvert.
I appreciated the author’s heart to not become isolated as an introvert. I liked how simple the ideas in this book were and how easily they could be implemented. I also liked the way that each chapter ended with a couple of suggestions on what to do next and some scripture to meditate on. Because this book reflected on the author’s day-to-day journey, the chapters sometimes didn’t seem connected or linear. I think I would have preferred to see them grouped thematically rather than written in a more memoir-like style, but overall this was an easy read with some solid material.
I appreciated the author’s heart to not become isolated as an introvert. I liked how simple the ideas in this book were and how easily they could be implemented. I also liked the way that each chapter ended with a couple of suggestions on what to do next and some scripture to meditate on. Because this book reflected on the author’s day-to-day journey, the chapters sometimes didn’t seem connected or linear. I think I would have preferred to see them grouped thematically rather than written in a more memoir-like style, but overall this was an easy read with some solid material.
September 17, 2018
I read this book for an in-person book club. I found the writing to be down to earth and a little inspiring. Because I am a little towards being an introvert, I could feel empathy towards the author. The book reminded the reader to seek God in the everyday. After reading this book I am encouraged to be a better Christian person. It will be interesting to hear the comments of the other people in my group.
March 28, 2023
What a delight! In her candid, humorous, mom-in-the-trenches voice, Kendra writes about her real-life exploits in reaching out to her neighbors. I find myself laughing and weeping as I read. And I also find myself muttering, “You Go, Girl!” as Kendra works hard to let her love for Jesus live in her every interaction.
March 8, 2018
It was a good book — a mix between Christian Living and Memoir. The only thing that I didn’t like was the chapter about Christmas presents. I get it, but it still felt too preachy or a judgment based on the author’s preferences.
Read
April 1, 2021It was good and helped me to see how I needed to step out of my comfort zone.
May 26, 2021
Really enjoyed this and needed to read it. Came at the exact right time.
February 13, 2022
Loved it, great for young moms!
January 17, 2023
As an introvert, this has blessed me in many ways. Thank you, Kendra!
February 11, 2025
If you are looking for a how-to guide, this is not it. But if you want to follow an introvert's journey into making changes and reaching her neighbors, then this book is for you.
Kendra Broekhuis’s book, Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert’s Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor, is an honest and heartfelt exploration of what it really means to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors. As an introvert, Broekhuis struggles with stepping out of her comfort zone, yet she challenges herself—and her readers—to embrace the sometimes uncomfortable but deeply meaningful work of building relationships. Through humor, vulnerability, and biblical reflection, she invites us to rethink how we engage with the people around us.
Three Positive Takeaways from the Book
One of the most powerful insights from Here Goes Nothing is how Broekhuis acknowledges that loving others is not about our comfort, but about their needs. She writes, “But the fact that I allow my introverted personality to keep me from lending a helping hand because it requires human interaction is flawed.” This is an important realization, especially in a culture that often encourages us to prioritize personal comfort over selfless action. By admitting her struggles, she makes it easier for readers to see their own excuses and find the courage to take small but meaningful steps toward loving their neighbors.
Another great takeaway is her reminder that loving others requires intention. It’s easy to say we care about our neighbors, but actually building relationships takes effort. She challenges readers by asking, “What if, instead of waiting for people to knock on our door, I intentionally looked for ways to show Christ’s love and kindness?” This shift in perspective encourages readers to actively seek opportunities to serve, rather than waiting for them to appear. She emphasizes that while we can’t control how others respond to our kindness, “All it takes to find out is a simple knock.”
A third unique insight is Broekhuis’s understanding that loving others can be risky and sometimes even painful. She points out that Jesus himself was “despised, rejected, mocked, beaten, and crucified” for living out love. So why should we expect to always be welcomed with open arms? She reminds us that “Loving our neighbors is truly a reckless lifestyle. Scripture tells us to love but to expect hatred in return, to give but to expect no repayment.” This perspective is refreshing because it acknowledges the reality that not every attempt to connect will be successful—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing.
Two Negative Observations About the Book
While Here Goes Nothing has many strengths, one downside is that Broekhuis leans heavily on personal guilt as a motivator. She writes, “And while I don’t want the reason I love my neighbor to be motivated by avoiding guilt trips on the can’t-live-it-down train, guilt can be an indicator that something is a little off in my life.” While it’s true that guilt can sometimes push us toward better choices, too much emphasis on it can make serving others feel like a duty rather than a joy. Some readers may feel pressured rather than encouraged by this message.
Another drawback is that the book does not provide many practical steps for introverts who struggle with engaging in social situations. Broekhuis does an excellent job of addressing the why behind loving our neighbors, but she doesn’t always break down how to do it in a way that feels manageable for more reserved individuals. Many introverts might walk away feeling inspired, but still unsure about how to start. A few more real-world strategies for building connections while honoring introverted tendencies would have made the book even stronger.
Final Thoughts
Here Goes Nothing is a beautifully written, deeply personal book that challenges readers to step beyond their fears and love their neighbors with intention. Kendra Broekhuis’s honesty and humor make her relatable, while her biblical insights remind us that loving others is a calling, not an option. She powerfully asks, “Would my neighborhood miss us? Not us actually, but Christ’s presence within us?”—a question that encourages reflection on the kind of impact we leave behind.
While the book occasionally leans too much on guilt as motivation and could use more practical guidance for introverts, its core message is powerful: Loving others is worth it, even when it’s hard. Broekhuis reminds us that our job isn’t to change people’s hearts—that’s God’s work. Instead, our role is to “show, to share, to love, to pray, to give someone a hand. To be a light in this desperately dark world.”
If you’re an introvert looking for encouragement to step out in faith and love your neighbors—or if you simply need a reminder of why community matters—this book is a worthwhile and inspiring read.ng.html
Kendra Broekhuis’s book, Here Goes Nothing: An Introvert’s Reckless Attempt to Love Her Neighbor, is an honest and heartfelt exploration of what it really means to follow Jesus’ command to love our neighbors. As an introvert, Broekhuis struggles with stepping out of her comfort zone, yet she challenges herself—and her readers—to embrace the sometimes uncomfortable but deeply meaningful work of building relationships. Through humor, vulnerability, and biblical reflection, she invites us to rethink how we engage with the people around us.
Three Positive Takeaways from the Book
One of the most powerful insights from Here Goes Nothing is how Broekhuis acknowledges that loving others is not about our comfort, but about their needs. She writes, “But the fact that I allow my introverted personality to keep me from lending a helping hand because it requires human interaction is flawed.” This is an important realization, especially in a culture that often encourages us to prioritize personal comfort over selfless action. By admitting her struggles, she makes it easier for readers to see their own excuses and find the courage to take small but meaningful steps toward loving their neighbors.
Another great takeaway is her reminder that loving others requires intention. It’s easy to say we care about our neighbors, but actually building relationships takes effort. She challenges readers by asking, “What if, instead of waiting for people to knock on our door, I intentionally looked for ways to show Christ’s love and kindness?” This shift in perspective encourages readers to actively seek opportunities to serve, rather than waiting for them to appear. She emphasizes that while we can’t control how others respond to our kindness, “All it takes to find out is a simple knock.”
A third unique insight is Broekhuis’s understanding that loving others can be risky and sometimes even painful. She points out that Jesus himself was “despised, rejected, mocked, beaten, and crucified” for living out love. So why should we expect to always be welcomed with open arms? She reminds us that “Loving our neighbors is truly a reckless lifestyle. Scripture tells us to love but to expect hatred in return, to give but to expect no repayment.” This perspective is refreshing because it acknowledges the reality that not every attempt to connect will be successful—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing.
Two Negative Observations About the Book
While Here Goes Nothing has many strengths, one downside is that Broekhuis leans heavily on personal guilt as a motivator. She writes, “And while I don’t want the reason I love my neighbor to be motivated by avoiding guilt trips on the can’t-live-it-down train, guilt can be an indicator that something is a little off in my life.” While it’s true that guilt can sometimes push us toward better choices, too much emphasis on it can make serving others feel like a duty rather than a joy. Some readers may feel pressured rather than encouraged by this message.
Another drawback is that the book does not provide many practical steps for introverts who struggle with engaging in social situations. Broekhuis does an excellent job of addressing the why behind loving our neighbors, but she doesn’t always break down how to do it in a way that feels manageable for more reserved individuals. Many introverts might walk away feeling inspired, but still unsure about how to start. A few more real-world strategies for building connections while honoring introverted tendencies would have made the book even stronger.
Final Thoughts
Here Goes Nothing is a beautifully written, deeply personal book that challenges readers to step beyond their fears and love their neighbors with intention. Kendra Broekhuis’s honesty and humor make her relatable, while her biblical insights remind us that loving others is a calling, not an option. She powerfully asks, “Would my neighborhood miss us? Not us actually, but Christ’s presence within us?”—a question that encourages reflection on the kind of impact we leave behind.
While the book occasionally leans too much on guilt as motivation and could use more practical guidance for introverts, its core message is powerful: Loving others is worth it, even when it’s hard. Broekhuis reminds us that our job isn’t to change people’s hearts—that’s God’s work. Instead, our role is to “show, to share, to love, to pray, to give someone a hand. To be a light in this desperately dark world.”
If you’re an introvert looking for encouragement to step out in faith and love your neighbors—or if you simply need a reminder of why community matters—this book is a worthwhile and inspiring read.ng.html
February 28, 2017
As part of the launch team for Here Goes Nothing by Kendra Broekhuis, I was privileged to read this book a few months ago. I enjoy Broekhuis' blog and her writing style carried over well into Here Goes Nothing. It is made up of thirty short chapters that each focus on a different way to love and show God to your neighbor. It was interesting to be challenged by Broekhuis' challenge to herself and to see how she grew through the month. Being an introvert myself, I really understood the fears and things that hold ups that she had. A few of the chapters felt a bit contrived and out of place as if they were just added in order to get to 30 chapters. But overall, it is great challenge to be the body of Christ right where we are with the people we interact with most often.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews