Waiting For Isaac

by Jessica Greyson

Single, lonely, what do we do with these labels and emotions? In seven short soul-searching essays, this book looks at singleness through the eyes of a single woman who is learning the meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in her status of single. As she is learning to find and hold onto true joy in the face of loneliness, and trusting God through it all.

24 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2018

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age Appropriate For: 13 and up
Best for Ages: 13 -40

I don’t read a lot of books on singleness. I’ve started a lot of them but put most of them back on the shelf. Half of them feel like they are written to overly eager girls and remind them they are young and their prince is on the way. The other half are depressing because they tell me to start liking my single state because that is most likely where I’m going to stay. This book is not like that.

Many girls will appreciate that this book is short. I read it in an afternoon between some projects. This isn’t meant to be a definitive book on the single life; it is meant to be encouragement from someone who is also on the journey. It’s more like a sister in Christ hugging you and sharing than a sermon, which is what we need more of.

While small this book is powerful. It has beautiful as well as funny work pictures that perfectly capture what it feels like to be single. It addresses heart issues, offers encouragement, and personal insight.

I loved that the author shared our her weakness. Too often, authors of the books on singleness that I’ve picked up have come off sounding like they have it all figured out. I know that isn’t what they intend, but this book is more my style. Greyson tone is humble, compassionate, and honest. It is perfect for someone who is discouraged, or just tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.

I highly recommend this book to single girls in need of honesty, encouragement, and someone who understands.

[S.G. Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many books about singleness and romance, gone to conferences, and even taught about it to younger girls at Bible studies, so this topic is not new to me… but in this book, Jessica shares so many important truths in an entirely new way that I hadn’t heard before. I'd recommend it to any waiting girl. Jessica shares a precious message so many of us girls, including me, need to hear and she shares it with grace and love. This was a quick, easy, but powerful read.

2nd Read-Through:
Just reread this in one night, this is such a beautiful book, and a great Valentine's Day read. :)

3rd Read-Through:
Timely, uplifting, and encouraging as always. I had a few paradigm shifting moments that leave my heart comforted and gently, compassionately convicted even though I've read this several time before. <3 Jessica writes with such a beautiful tone of sisterly compassion and truth.

[Amanda Tero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book is in turn cute, sweet, funny, charming, identifiable, realistic, and encouraging. It took maybe twenty minutes to read. I think it would most benefit women in their mid-twenties and above, but that is not at all to say younger women would not be encouraged as well.

The one point I’m not certain I agree with is the presentation that online dating is never God’s way. I’m not sure the author meant it to come across as sin, but that impression could be taken away from the book. At the same time, there is enough of a balance of seeking God and following Him, that if you take that above the author’s personal convictions I believe you’ll glean the message she was trying to convey.

Some lovely quotes:
“Deep within us, we have expectations. One thing I learned from a wise teacher once upon a time was this: expectations ruin relationships.”

“Marriage is one of God’s most beautiful designs and gifts to us and is something to be a treasured gift when it comes… but until it comes, are you dreaming and waiting for the moment your life will begin with your future Mr. Just-Right or are you living with a heart that seeks God?”

“Loneliness is an opportunity to look outside of yourself.”

“Satisfaction is active, it requires upkeep.”

“Seeking Christ and His will is incredibly satisfying. He does not change, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If my identity and satisfaction rests in Jesus Christ, then my status as a single girl is consumed by Him and in Him. I am in Christ; I am not lonely; I am satisfied.”

“Start binding your heart and soul to Christ, your Anchor, your Rock, your Fortress, and High Tower. He is the man you need to lean on—always.”

[Erika Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautiful testimony – a testimony of what it’s truly like as a Christian woman desiring God’s best and struggling (occasionally or regularly) with singleness. Even though I’m not the target audience of this book, I found it profoundly encouraging and challenging to my own walk with God and my levels of satisfaction in Him.
I almost never highlight while reading. Yet I’d barely read a page of this book before I switched to my highlighter, and throughout my perusal, yellow appeared many time on the pages: a testament to the profound truths contained therein.
Waiting for Isaac is simple, heartfelt, practical, and Biblical. It has a touch of a beautiful old-fashioned style as well as a helping of genuinely witty humor – an excellent balance to the subject matter, which can often be full of heartache. Painfully honest at times with a depth that will speak straight to the hearts of readers, the author has spoken simply from her very heart with the beautiful truth of the real-life lessons God is teaching and revealing.
If you’ve read books on Christian singleness before, perhaps there may be not much here you haven’t heard before. But this book needs to make your to-read pile regardless. You’ve never heard these truths presented in this way. There’s no judgment or preachiness here, only gentle truth.
It is possible that a few outlying readers may interpret some of the author’s personal anecdotes as being intended as a formula or a standard of how to approach singleness as a young girl – but to me it was unequivocally evident that no such thing is intended. The author shares her personal journey – that which God has spoken to her for this season of life – and throughout the book her purpose in encouraging her readers to listen to God is embedded constantly. This isn’t another book about “what to do if you’re single and long for a husband.” This is a book about how to seek the heart of God among the many conflicting emotions and desires incumbent in singleness. The heart of God – not the will or words or formulas of men.
Within the truth shining throughout this book is mingled the poetic description. Oh, the description! Jessica Greyson has a gift for weaving words in a way that that is pleasant to the ear and vivid to the imagination. She’s captured real, raw emotions. She’s painted pictures of our dreams. She’s used clever analogies. She’s captured human nature in a way every person can relate to. And then in the midst of it, she drops a truth bomb so profound it leave me blinking and rereading.
Are you a single girl or woman? I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Are you a married person still learning contentment? I recommend this book to you as well. Thank you, Jessica, for your prayerful time in God’s Word and in the day-to-day storms of life that have given us this encouraging masterpiece.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I’ve had this on my Kindle for a while and it finally occurred to me to read it! The lessons are simple, but they were good reminders for me and there was a lot of great thoughts and exhortations to ponder over. 💕

Wait. The word in Hebrew has a twofold meaning. Yes, it means to wait, to look for, hope, expect. It also means to collect and bind together. While you are waiting for the one who has yet to come, let me encourage you to be bound up in Christ.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

So precious. So true. Jessica shares these heartfelt lessons on singleness in the sweet voice of a sister.

I usually don't read books twice in the same year, but the truth in Waiting for Isaac was too important to stay on the shelf.

You can read more of my thoughts here: https://stargazersforhim.wordpress.co....

[Angie Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll preface this by saying I'm coming at this from a different position than the young single audience that this is targeted toward (still single, yes, but no longer quite as young...). But I also feel like it was a good thing overall that I didn't immerse myself in ALL the books on singleness when I was struggling with it so hard, especially because I have a tendency to over-apply things that aren't really the root issue for me. That's also important context for my thoughts on this one.

To be honest, I didn't feel entirely comfortable with the way the author's personal lessons were presented as lessons for all single Christian women. Not that there wasn't truth there, and lessons to be learned, but I feel like just because a certain activity or mindset isn't healthy for some people, it doesn't mean it's always wrong. Not when it comes to things like running ahead of God's timing or being willing to accept second-best just to follow your own dream--of course not! But sometimes it felt like the message was "don't think about marriage/men/expectations/your wedding/etc. because you're making it an idol and moving outside of God's plans for you." Now maybe that's not what the author meant at all, and I don't deny that we can absolutely get hyper-focused on those things and make them idols. Honestly, I think if the book had been framed as her story, and the pitfalls she'd stumbled into, and the lessons God had taught her, I wouldn't have had any issue. Because the lessons were good; it just felt like some of them were applied over-broadly, especially toward the beginning. Instead of "God showed me that I was creating idols," it was framed as "when we do this, we're creating idols," and that bothered me, particularly when I thought of how much I would have taken it to heart and struggled with it when I didn't really need to as a younger single. Not saying I didn't have plenty of my own pitfalls--I most certainly did! But it just felt like some good lessons with an inspiring story of how they had been learned, but then overly applied as though they were equally true for everyone, who might not be in the same place or need exactly the same cautions on their journey. Just my opinion--obviously take it with a huge grain of salt. (:

One thing that was both an inspiration and a surprise to me was when we got to the lesson that inspired the title--to be honest, when I see a book on marriage and singleness referencing Isaac, my mind immediately leaps to Rebekah, not Sarah. But that connection really resonated once I realized where she was going with it, and that reminder was definitely my biggest takeaway. <3

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know a great many unmarried Christian women, and I've heard enough testimonies from recently engaged/married girls to know how incredibly tone-deaf they can be. I've heard precious few from women who are single but long to be married, and that is where Jessica Greyson's first non-fiction book comes in. It can easily be read in one sitting or used as a week-long devotional challenge to one's thinking and heart attitudes, while gently assuring you that you are definitely not the only one struggling with missing something so largely outside your own control.
I do not feel like singleness is something I have spent a great deal of time considering or lamenting, but I found myself provoked to consider several things in a new light while reading this book, and so incredibly appreciate Jessica Greyson's openness in sharing her heart here. This testimony is extraordinarily needed, and I recommend it to any young woman, single or married, who is learning to trust God while waiting for something dearly longed-for. Raw and real, this is a book of beautiful encouragement.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written essays about singleness, purity, and waiting on God's timing.

[Heather Leipart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book for single women about the importance of waiting for Isaac rather than rushing into something with Ishmael. It took me approximately 40 minutes to read the entire thing start to finish, and my copy is now highlighted and underlined all throughout with gems of wisdom. I highly recommend!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short yet powerful. Simple and encouraging. This touched me. I’m so grateful for women like Jessica who share their heart with others who are struggling with a life that isn’t what they wanted or planned.