Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem in Tragedy

by Cameron Cole

"Throughout the journey of my worst nightmare--my descent into a dark, sad valley--the Holy Spirit would remind me of truths that comforted my soul and sustained my life."

After the sudden death of their three-year-old son, Cameron Cole and his wife found themselves clinging to Christ through twelve key theological truths--truths that became their lifeline in the midst of unthinkable grief. Weaving together their own story of tragic loss and abiding faith, Cole explores these twelve life-giving truths to offer hope and comfort to those in the midst of tragedy.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Grief, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Non Fiction, Religion

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2018

About the author

Cameron Cole (MA, Wake Forest University) serves as director of youth ministries at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, and is the chairman of Rooted, a ministry dedicated to fostering gospel-centered student ministry.

Reviews

[Wendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too emotionally invested to write a coherent review. I can only say in the midst of one of the most agonizing, searing, lonliest, and frankly bitterly unfair trials of my life, this has been light, warmth, balm, and comfort.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐
Great book on how we as christians can go through hard, tragic circumstances because of the promises, hope and truth found in God and his word. I especially found the chapter on the sovereignty of God helpful. This had a lot of scripture in it, which is always a big plus for me. There were a few things I didn't necessarily agree with but overall a well written,comforting and hope-filled book.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book where the author processes the loss of his little
boy. It is raw and open to the point that I shed many tears alongside his grief. I would 100% recommend reading this if you have a specific pain and loss that you are still trying to process.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I almost cannot wrap my head around all of the wisdom and truth in this book.

This book is split up into 3 different sections to reflect the different periods one goes through after their worst nightmare becomes reality. They are The Initial Shock, The New Normal and The Long Haul. In each section Cole gives a few characteristics of Christ or of the Christian walk that can apply to dealing with tragedy. Inside each characteristic are numerous bible verses or central stories that apply to that characteristic.

I really loved this format as it allowed for deeper study. Cole, while definitely diving into scripture and revealing it's truths, also left some stories at a higher surface level. This left so much room for one to really dive into every nuance of the Bible story. If you're going through the initial shock and you need hope and healing in regards to faith, you can look to this chapter in the book and then look even further into the Bible to discover even more. The format creates an excellent road map of where to look in the Bible for help, healing and truth for each season of grief.

I also loved how he used the term Worst to be applied generally to any scenario. He describes this as being the worst scenario in your mind. This allowed me to imagine my worst scenario. It opened up the book to be applicable to a broader range of people. This book is not just for those who have suffered the loss of a child or a close relative. It's for anyone who has experienced their worst. Whether that's something universally tragic (the loss of a child) or something simpler, but still difficult (like missing out on a job promotion). Cole's words can ring true for it all.

I found myself throughout the book wishing that I had a physical copy of this book so that I could highlight and write in the margins to my heart's content. There were so many wonderful nuggets of truth in this book that I just could not read it fast enough or absorb more.

This book is not made for only those that are in suffering right now. It is made for everybody. It not only prepares you for suffering in your life, but it gives such a beautiful appreciation of Christ and the redemptive work that was done on the cross for your life. It has been strengthening my life and my walk, though I am not currently in a season of suffering. It was a joy to read.

**Many thanks to Cameron Cole, Crossway, and NetGalley for an advanced e-book in exchange for an honest review.

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read this year.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from Net Galley. The book came to me just as we were leaving Florida to go to New Jersey to bury my Husband Louis' ashes.

My husband, Louis and I were married in the Methodist Church in Montclair, New Jersey on September 18, 1982. We raised our Daughter, Cathryn in the church as she has her children in the Church!

We were married for 35 years when he took sick. He was in the hospital for 2-1/2 months before they moved him to a hospice. He was only at the hospice for 4 days before he passed.

It was the most terrible thing that has happened to our family and this book helped us many many times over.

Our daughter read from the book at the Memorial Service we had at the cemetery.

The book is well written on a very difficult subject, but helped us so much. I would recommend it to my family (and I did) and of course to my friends.

Thank you Net Galley and the publishers for giving me this wonderful book. It arrived at a very important time in my life.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about hope, hope after your Worst. In this case the author’s three year old son died unexpectedly in his sleep. We all deal with our Worst, it may not be the death of a child, but it’s our worst nightmare at the time, and we grieve. The author writes in a way that’s easily understood. He gives us twelve truths backed up by scripture to comfort and sustain us during a most difficult time. Grief is different for everyone but this is a great resource to help us on our difficult journey.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought incredible hope, comfort and affirmation following the unexpected loss of my dad. It was released only a few days after he died. I happened upon this book because I receive emails from Crossway that link to articles promoting the publisher's materials. God is good like that!

Cole, a pastor whose 3-year-old son died in his sleep, walks us through the journey of grief -- which of course looks a little different for everyone -- and provides 12 guideposts to dealing with loss in a healthy, biblical way. Most of the ideas Cole discusses weren't new to me on a head level, but reading them from the other side of a sudden, traumatic loss really hit me on a heart level and brought me so much reassurance.

This is a must read not only for those in mourning, but also for Christian leaders who want to better understand how to help those who are hurting. I would recommend it even to people who haven't yet experienced loss. Perhaps some of the truths contained within its pages will come to mind when the unthinkable occurs.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most accessible and practically helpful books on dealing with a tragedy, whether that be in experiencing tragedy in one's own life or in knowing how to interact with others in your life experiencing tragedy. I particularly appreciated the Biblically-grounded, God-focused presentation of all the content in the book. Would highly recommend.

[John Boyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a tough book to read. As a father of a three year old boy, I instantly related to the author who tragically lost his three year old son. Cole guides those who are grieving through tragedy by walking through 12 biblical concepts that ground the person in Christ and lead them through the initial shock, the new normal and the long haul aspects of grief. The book provides deep biblical insights to help those who have lost as well as counselors who want to be equipped on how to help those in need. While this book may be a challenge to some to read I do recommend it to those who have experienced traumatic loss as well as those who want to be prepared to walk along side those who have.

[Alex Etheridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron Cole writes a book on loss and suffering, quite courageously, I might add, that is both accessible and truth-filled. I appreciated most his thoughts on God providing you the grace you need for today, à la God providing the Israelites manna for that specific day in the desert. I also valued his insight that if you take away God playing a part in death, you take away God being able to sustain you in grief and loss and healing.

[Robin Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one of those books I think everyone should read. We are all sufferers. We all need this truth and hope perspective.
Two thoughts: I want these truths to ground me in my faith. I want these truths to grow me in my compassion for those who are currently suffering.

[Blythe]

This is in my top 3 of favorite books on suffering. He articulates thoughts and feelings I’ve experienced but haven’t been able to put words to; he is a compassionate voice of one who has suffered deeply but hasn’t lost hope. Where other books are too cerebrally theological or self-absorbed, Cole does an excellent job of lamenting to Christ, never forgetting the source of hope and joy and Life. I was incredibly encouraged by this book and eagerly recommend it to those who are/have suffered as well as those walking with sufferers.

Update: I reread this book fall of 2020. In light of the crazy year and my own continual spiritual wrestling, I wanted to revisit the book and see if I would appreciate it in the same ways. I guess I have nothing to criticize; if this is your flavor of theology, then this book is for you. I’ve changed so my response to the book has changed. I agree with much of what he teaches; however, I can’t get on board with his understanding of intimacy and comfort from God. If grace is free and salvation is free, why do we have to work at earning intimacy? Why would God not draw close to us in our darkest days because we didn’t do our prerequisite homework of reading the Bible and checking all out boxes before tragedy struck? What we crave and need most in our worst hour is intimacy and comfort. I can’t agree that God wouldn’t want to lavish that on his children if he’s the loving god that we claim he is. And yet, in my hardest struggles, I’ve rarely encountered him closely. So I have no answers to offer. 🤷‍♀️

[Ko Matsuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book. As somebody who tragically lost his 3 year old son, Cameron Cole takes you through a dozen themes of suffering, grief, comfort and hope. He walks you through human experience, Bible stories, and personal reflection in some of the most beautiful words I have ever read.

In a world where religious platitudes and cultural norms don't provide comfort to one who is grieving, Cole finds and articulates words that are only for those who grieve, but all of us as well. His approach is Gospel-centric, Bible focused, God glorifying, yet very human, very broken, and very real. It give life to religion, feet to faith, and wings to grace. It puts soul in faith, passion in belief, and hope in despair. Highly recommended.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only had a couple of brushes with "The Worst", but I can readily see how helpful this book would be if The Worst happened. It also offers insights into how we should deal with things that are less than The Worst but still threaten to derail us and cause us to take our eyes off Christ. Recommended.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Christ has risen from the dead". There lies the most significant sentence of mankind. To the mother, whose family ultimately falls apart, engages in the one deadly sin of grief: She fails to face reality. This temptation to avoid reality entices many people in suffering. Some people hide in addictions. They seek escape from their anguish through alcohol, painkillers or porn. Where are you hiding?

Cameron Cole knows something about facing reality. His own young son was found not breathing in his bed where his mother found him. Facing the reality of death when it comes unannounced and with a small child leaves anyone asking why? This book does not answer the why but helps the reader to face the reality that we want to hide and where we can cling. Where we can put our hope. It is not a simplistic faith, even though that is how I find myself at times, but one that is complex when it deals with our emotions. Dealing with emotions is healthy and is meant to be shared. This family broke the statistics of staying together and facing it together. Feeling the pain of grief and the loss of the future with their son. Grief does not have to be losing someone but it can be losing a relationship, a job, a season of life.

The 12 truths are basic truths of Christianity.
Grace
Gospel
Resurrection
Faith
Empathy
Providence
Doubt
Presence
Sin
Joy
Service
Heaven

Cameron Cole offers hope in these basic truths of Christianity and brings it together that we can face reality. It is a process and the text shares that process. Taking steps at a time, one day at time. Going forward and remembering the goodness of the Lord. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Tori Samar · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The gospel is not just an evangelistic principle; it is a message that gets you out of bed in the morning. The sovereignty of God is not some debatable proposition; it is the assurance that your child's death is not a meaningless accident. Grace is not simply a word in a hymn; it's the very thing you rely on when you are so bereaved that you cannot imagine living another day. Faith is not just a cliché term for religion; it is the thing that picks you up off the carpet where you have been crying for over an hour."

The quote I shared above is a fitting summary of this book. Cameron Cole and his wife experienced a tragedy—the unexpected and unexplainable death of their young son. Truth is what kept their faith, and their very lives, from shattering. It is so easy to treat theology and doctrine in terms of the academic. But this book did a great job reminding me that the truth revealed in God's Word is intended to touch the darkest, most painful corners of our lives. Truth is what will keep us grounded when everything else falls apart. This is so much bigger than mere academics. This is real life.

Although I was originally going to give a 4-star rating, I ended up downgrading to 3 because of some issues I encountered in the second half of the book. Mostly, this book was not as precise in its explanations as it could/should have been. For example, I think the chapter titled "Doubt" ought to be titled "Lament" (or something similar). The chapter has good content about being open with God in our hurting, but it doesn't actually seem to be describing doubt. It is lament. Furthermore, I don't think Scripture really presents doubt positively, as Cameron Cole did in his chapter about it. Lament, yes. Doubt, not really.

My bigger issue with the book came later, however, when Cole delved into the redemptive mission of God. There is a paragraph in the "Service" chapter which is terribly similar to one of N.T. Wright's teachings. Long story short, the teaching in question indicates that God first wanted Israel to be His means of reconciling all things to Himself, but they failed, and Christ stepped in instead. In essence, it makes Christ God's "Plan B" of redemption, which is completely contrary to Genesis 3:15 and several other passages of Scripture. I sincerely hope that is not what Cameron Cole meant in his paragraph—perhaps I misunderstood or he poorly explained—but the parallels were unsettling.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a painful and powerful witness of the grace of Christ that shines in the darkest seasons of our lives. The title sums it up well: when death takes those we love, when disasters destroy our lives, when we feel like we have no future, because Christ is crucified and risen for us, therefore we have hope. And that hope is as certain and unwavering as the empty tomb and the resurrected body of Jesus.

[Graham Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cameron has a hard but beautiful story of how God has worked in his life amidst this tragedy. It's what I expected from a Crossway publication on this subject, so it's refreshingly soaked in Scripture. The "Doubt", "Joy", and "Heaven" chapters were my personal favorites. Also loved the shout-out to Dr Bals from Beeson.

[Elyse Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dear friend gifted me this beautiful book after the death of our daughter, and it was a balm for my shattered soul. It articulated so many things that I have thought and felt and made me feel seen and understood. I recommend it for anyone who is walking through tragic loss and questioning/grappling with their faith. I didn’t agree with every aspect of what Cole shared, but overall found that his story to be the comforting and hope-filled promise that my heart so deeply needed.

[Kara Sauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy five stars. This book was saturated with truth and delivered with compassion. The chapters on Doubt and Service were most helpful to me. I am so grateful the Lord provided the courage and sustainance for him to write this in the midst of his Worst.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting. Cole’s ability to share his own heart in suffering in the context of the rich theological truths of the gospel lead me to worship. So well done.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a helpful and insightful look into dealing with tragedy and pointing to the Lord through it all. There was an incredible amount of empathy throughout the book and I constantly related to the feelings he expressed or ideas he dove into. I would recommend this to anyone going through something hard, or if someone close to them was going through something tragic as well. Cole works with youth, so I felt this book would be good for students as well as adults.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comforting

This book is filled with scripture and accessible, yet steadfast doctrine. For those of you wrestling with trauma and disaster, weather past or present, this is for you. May God be most glorified!

[Kristin Tabb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very honest, faithful look at what it means to grieve that avoids the two pitfalls of truth without emotion (cold doctrine) on the one hand, and empathy/presence without future hope (superficial warmth). Marries raw honesty and real hope. Avoids overemphasis on either the future/eschatology or the incarnation, but balances both.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/re...

[Stephen Hoogerhyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cole wrote this book in the aftermath of the sudden death of his 3-year-old son, Cam. The subtitle of the book summarizes it well. Cole lists the Biblical truths that sustained him in the initial shock of his son's death, as he tried to regain some "normalcy" in his life, and over the long haul.

This is good, solid truth-telling. As Cole says in his introduction, all hope flows out of the person of Jesus Christ. As he said to his wife when she gave him the news of his son's death, "Christ is risen from the dead. God is good. This doesn't change that fact."

Here are the twelve truths he discusses: grace, gospel, resurrection, faith, empathy, providence, doubt, presence, sin, joy, service, and heaven. At first blush, you might think some of those would not be comforting, but Cole expertly explains how they are. And he does this not in a dry, academic way, but out of the raw pain of loss of his son and the tender comfort of God's Son.

This paragraph from the Introduction summarizes the message of the book well: "The gospel is not just an evangelistic principle; it is a message that gets you out of bed in the morning. The sovereignty of God is not some debatable proposition; it is the assurance that your child's death is not a meaningless accident. Grace is not simply a word in a hymn; it's the very thing you rely on when you are so bereaved that you cannot imagine living another day. Faith is not just a cliché term for religion; it is the thing that picks you up off the carpet where you have been crying for over an hour."

Whether you have experienced tragedy in your life, or know someone who has, or simply want your hope in God strengthened, I recommend this book.

[Aminata Coote · Rating 5 out of 5]

What will you do when your Worst happens? Cameron Cole’s fear was that he would turn his back on God and walk away from Christianity. It’s a very real fear. When we are hurt by life, we tend to blame God and accuse Him of unfairness. Sometimes we turn our backs on Him forever. Thankfully, that was not what happened in Cameron’s story.

Instead, he turned to the word of God and the truth he found there enabled him to get through his pain. This book is a chronicle of the lessons he learned, lessons that, when shared with us can help us through whatever Bad or Worst situation we are going through.

Know God: Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem in Tragedy is a book about knowing God. As we learn more about who He is, it allows us to love Him more. Our knowledge of God gives us courage, faith, hope to walk in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

Know yourself: We learn more about who we are as we explore the awesome, boundless, matchless character of who God is.

Run your race: As Cameron walked us through his grief, he gave us snapshots of other persons who also walked through grief. Each person made a choice – a decision to run their own race. When your Worst happens, you have to choose how you will let it shape you.

I received a copy of the book through the Crossway Blog Review program in exchange for my honest review.

[Patti Whitson Stephenson She Lives to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this book, I felt as if I’d had an opportunity to sit down and talk with the author. This book is an honest and transparent account of the grief faced by the author and his wife in the loss of a child. There are no platitudes in this book, but encouragement born from personal experience, as well as sound advice deeply rooted in Scripture. The “Narrative of Hope” at the end of each chapter and the summary at the end of the book is well worth the purchase of the book. This is a good book especially for anyone going through a period of grief, but all of us can learn from the author’s sharing of his story. I’m glad this book will be on my shelf to reference for those days that I need it. I’ll be reading this one again.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Therefore I Have Hope
12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem in Tragedy
by Cameron Cole
Crossway


Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 31 Jul 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Therefore I Have Hope through Crossway Books and Netgalley:

When Cameron Cole's three year old son Cam dies unexpectedly in his sleep Cameron found himself clinging to twelve key truths. Truths that became his lifeline in the midst of unimaginable grief. In this book Cameron Cole weaves together his own story of love, loss and abiding faith that is nourished in God's word.

In this book Cole explores the twelve life giving truths broken into three parts that are aimed at the different stages of the grieving process.


I give Therefore I Have Hope five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[BrontëKas · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Nothing is hopeless. No chapter closed. No shame or trauma is beyond God’s restoration. No wound beyond his healing power. If God can raise a man from death, he can certainly resurrect your life from the ashes.”

Cameron Cole puts into words much of what I’ve felt in my own seasons of loss and grief. This book unpacks deep theological truths simply and lovingly — reading it was like talking to a friend, it was cold water on a hot day, a warm hug of mutual understanding. Cole has been through the Worst and this book is part of God’s redemptive work, giving me hope that my own Worst can be redeemed and used for God’s glory. I look forward to revisiting this book and recommending it to my friends.