I Forgive You: Finding Peace and Moving Forward When Life Really Hurts

by Wendy Alsup

How to forgive, find peace and move forward, even when it’s hard.

Life gets messy sometimes. When relationships break down and you’re deeply hurt, it can feel impossible to move forward. But the Bible has wisdom for a way through. Author Wendy Alsup helps us find it in the story of Joseph and his brothers.

Find space to process your emotions, explore what repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation actually look like, and see how peace, freedom and fruitfulness really are possible, even when certain things can’t be fixed.

Readers will also be encouraged by the reminder of God’s ultimate plan for reconciliation and can look forward to being part of it in the new creation.

Includes present-day examples and stories of lives transformed by the power of forgiveness, including the author’s own struggles.

Genres: Christian Living, Christian, Nonfiction, Theology

144 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2022

About the author

Wendy Horger Alsup (MEd, Clemson University) enjoys teaching theology to women and is the author of Practical Theology for Women, The Gospel-Centered Woman, and By His Wounds You are Healed. Alsup writes from her family farm and teaches math at the local community college.

Reviews

[Ashley Hoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Forgive You is a book on what biblical forgiveness, repentance, and reconciliation look like set to the backdrop of the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-45. Throughout the book, Wendy pulls from her own life experiences to illustrate the need, power, and challenges of forgiveness in a very raw and authentic way. The passage is broken into chapters based on theme chronologically:

Chapter 1: Joseph Wept: the Pain of Loss, which outlines the initial pain and impact of being sinned against. The loss that Wendy discusses the most is a concept coined by Pauline Boss called ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss is when there is a loss without closure. On pg 14, Wendy notes that it can be a physical absence with a psychological presence (like a break up or estrangement) or a physical presence with a psychological absence (like a loved one dealing with dementia). Those who have dealt with ambiguous loss can likely relate to this quote found on page 15:

Such losses leave us stuck while our family, church, or work relationships go on without us. Other people seem to sail on as we are left treading water in their wake. How do we navigate and grieve these losses when society doesn’t necessarily recognize them as a loss?

The rest of the chapter walks through how what Joseph experienced was an example of an ambiguous loss.

Chapter 2: Our Greatest Need: God’s Plan for Reconciliation. It is here that Wendy gives the biggest amount of space to her own experience with ambiguous loss. This will give context to a lot of the personal stories that she shares throughout the rest of the book, primarily looking at her experience with processing and healing from her church experience in Seattle. She also gives a lot of encouragement to people who have suffered a similar loss to continue to pursue community in the church (even if it’s not the same church where the suffering occurred).

Chapter 3: In the Middle: Living While Waiting. You may be familiar with a song made popular by TikTok and Instagram Reels called “The Good Part” by AJR. I honestly feel too old to even be making that reference, but there’s a lot of videos where the song will show some sort of work that the poster is not quite satisfied with. Then they put their hand on the screen and the singer says, “can we skip to the good part?” and the scene cuts to a work of “better” quality or something they like better, skipping all of the hard work and growth that it took to create the better work. This chapter of I Forgive You challenges that mentality of just “skipping to the good part.” Life doesn’t work like that. It’s hard and messy and uncomfortable a lot. But if we avoid the awkwardness, we are not growing from those experiences. These moments also teach us to be grateful on the other side. Even if the other side is actually in heaven.

Chapter 4: The Reckoning: Recognizing the Wrong. This was definitely my favorite chapter in the book. Here, Wendy highlights the importance of having someone specifically name the way they’ve sinned against you. As she notes on page 60, “if you have ever had someone accurately name their sin against you, you know the power in such a moment.” Later on page 62, she brings it back to the story of Joseph saying:

Joseph’s story gives us a real life picture of men forced to stop and reckon with their history. We too must search our hearts. We must remember, even when it’s deeply painful to do so. We must put ourselves in our opponent’s shoes. We must be honest and we must be humble.

Chapter 5: Judah’s Turn: Repenting of Sin. This is where we see a real theology of repentance which goes beyond regret, but truly turns away from sin (pg 71). As noted on page 72, repentance isn’t just saying you’re sorry or regretting an action, “now we do good works in contrast with the wrong we used to do.” In this chapter, Wendy also makes an eye opening point about “abuse masking the humanity of the abuser” (pg 74) and how that affects the hurdles towards reconciliation.

Chapter 6: Amazing Grace: Forgiving the Debt. At this point, we turn from repentance to forgiveness and reconciliation. Wendy challenges us to boldly forgive those who ask and repent. On page 85, she writes:

Forgiveness costs the one who forgives, not the one who harmed. It costs them the satisfaction of retribution. It costs them the possibility of recouping their losses. It is lopsided. It is not fair. But it is godly.

It is hard to forgive, but it’s also hard to live with bitterness. Forgiveness is part of healing.

Chapter 7: Foundation Work: Repairing the Damage. This is the chapter where the gospel shines the most in the book. Wendy points to the power of the gospel to transform us and open us to be able to forgive those who have wronged us. In her words on page 99:

God put our debt to himself on Jesus, and in its place, he put Jesus’ righteousness over to our accounts. As Christians, we have been reconciled-- made right with God. We are also being made righteous as the Spirit transforms us day by day. If we truly comprehend our debt to God and his payment of our sins, and if we truly desire to live in step with the Spirit, then, when it comes to our broken relationship with someone else, we should be compelled to ask, “how can I not make things right?”

Chapter 8: Cracks of Gold: Restoring the Relationship. The culmination of everything that came before has brought us to restoration and healing. On page 109, Wendy notes that this isn’t a “cheap grace,” but a true working through the pain and repentance. She elaborates on page 118 (in the conclusion):

To forgive is not to sweep sin under the carpet. It is not downplaying the harm that was done. Neither does forgiveness mean we leave an unrepentant offender free to harm others in the future as they have in the past. It does mean that we choose to see the humanity of the offender and hope for their repentance. It means we leave vengeance to God. It means we release the one who wronged us from their role as offender in our life. It means we forgive their debt as Christ has forgiven ours.

Ending this book, Wendy points us back to Luke 23: 34, which has Jesus on the cross crying out, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This is such a powerful reminder for when we are faced with a situation that the offender cannot or will not repent. We may not be able to have the closure and reconciliation that we desire, but God can still give us peace.

If you have ever been betrayed or deeply hurt, this book will comfort and convict you. A lot of you guys know the beginnings of some of the issues my family has been going through over the last two years, but you may not know how badly I needed this book. Without knowing me, Wendy made me feel seen. She did not write this for me, yet God ordained that it would end up in my hands, calling me to both repent and forgive.

Wendy spends a substantial amount of time pointing back to scripture throughout the book and utilizing very sound exegesis and heavily emphasizing the gospel. So with that in mind, I happily give this book 5 stars out of 5. I hope it blesses you the way it has blessed me.

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reveals Wendy Alsup at her best. She has a gift for making Scripture accessible and relevant. I've read dozens of books on forgiveness and this one is my new favorite. It's honest, vulnerable, and practical.

[Lia Ross Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can things be repaired when deep hurts and wrongs are committed? Forgiving can be hard to do, but we have a great example in scripture of how that looks through the example of Joseph and his brothers (found in the book of Genesis.) In this book Wendy Alsup walks us through this beautiful story of forgiveness and reconciliation, along with her personal testimony.

Her transparency and vulnerability to share her struggles as a great way to see how she used the truths in scripture shown to help her to practically work through forgiving others. This will too give you hope for working through trials in your life where forgiveness seems hard.

This book does not include discussion questions, but I think it would be a good book to read with a close friend to bring about conversations on forgiveness. Do you have someone you need to forgive? Have you committed a wrong against someone and need their forgiveness? Start with this book and join Wendy as she journeys through how God helped Joseph forgive his brothers and how you can do the same by the same power.


*I was provided an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Eilidh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful going through the story of Joseph and the Author pulls out some really good truths and encouragements from God's word of how He uses hard situations for good.
She uses an example throughout the book of an inncident/fall out of leadership in her previous Mega church, I'm not entirely sure it was that helpful as I didn't really understand the ins and outs of it. And I feel it could be a bit distracting if someone came to the book with a specific issue they either feel they need forgiveness for or needed to forgive.

[Persis · Rating 5 out of 5]

More detailed review to come but in the meantime, this is a very clear and scripturally based book on a difficult topic. Also written with sensitivity and 1st hand experience of the challenges of forgiveness and reconciliation.

[Loraena · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The weight of forgiveness lies on the shoulders of the one who was harmed. But the weight of repairing the wrong lies on the shoulders of the one who did the harm.”

H I G H L Y recommend this book. If you have wounds from a church, family, or anyone, really - wounds that fester and trigger you and make you feel confused and damaged and angry, I think you will find this book deeply comforting.

Author Wendy Alsup gets it. She walks slowly through the biblical story of Joseph to help us find solidarity in his story of deep betrayal and the lifetime he spent in Egypt estranged from family and betrayed multiple times over.

It’s beautifully written and if you’re like me, you’ll read it with a catch in your throat. I’ll be drawing from this in my work and recommending it a lot. ❤️❤️❤️

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there any hope when forgiveness feels impossible? In I Forgive You, Wendy Alsup helps us find peace and move forward when life really hurts.

Ambiguous Loss and Dissonance
In short chapters and a quick 130 pages, Alsup shows us the story of Joseph framed as the quintessential example of ambiguous loss. While ambiguous loss can involve psychological absence with physical presence, Joseph’s story is one of physical absence with psychological presence, such as divorce or estrangement from family. You don’t see the person but you think about them.

Including stories of her own experience, Alsup discusses dissonance -- two non-harmonizing notes. In her case, this included broken relationships, especially at church. We were made for community and belonging. Even with broken relationships, we can still find unity and hope in Christ.

Confession and Confidence
Alsup takes us further into her story, speaking of divorce and cancer. And by looking again at Joseph’s story, we can see that God often brings fruitfulness in the land of our affliction. Alsup is sensitive to the situations of her readers, while also remaining steadfast in hope.

The book takes a turn at the half-way point in Chapter 4 and the topic of confession. Alsup is sure to say that sin must be named, but just as confident that God will give grace. What I appreciate most is she states that suffering is not always a sign of sin—but it can be. We must pay attention, search our hearts, and seek hard after God.

Repentance and Forgiveness
Chapter 5 examines Judah and repentance. By bringing in Judah’s story with Tamar alongside Judah’s experience with Joseph, Alsup shows that repentance and genuine change are possible through God’s grace to us. She is a skilled writer, able to show what the Bible says and how it applies to our situations.

Forgiveness is the subject of Chapter 6. I was most interested to learn that forgiveness is a financial term. This makes sense when talking about forgiving debts. Ultimately, forgiveness is sacrifice. And while it is painful, we can trust that God has something better planned.

Humility and Peace
The book ends by seeing humility as a key to repairing broken relationships. Throughout the process, we can have confidence and boldness in the Lord. Do not be afraid as relationships are restored.

After reading this book, “I forgive you” is no longer a simple saying. By looking at the story of Joseph, and ultimately by looking at the story of Jesus, we can find a way forward -- and come to a place of peace.

I received a media copy of I Forgive You and this is my honest review.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgiveness is a difficult and complicated topic, especially since people have so many different definitions for what forgiveness means. Wendy Alsup is clear and biblical, and she is realistic about the differences between forgiveness and reconciliation, while still writing about the possibility of both. Throughout the book, she focuses on the story of Joseph as an example, and she also shares reflections about her own experiences, particularly with an abusive pastor destroying the megachurch she attended. She writes about this situation with grace and appropriate remove, rather than venting or sharing other people's personal details, but she still shares enough details for readers to understand her experience and its impact on her life.

This book addresses a variety of different factors involved in forgiveness, and Alsup is sensitive to the different challenges that people face while working through their pain. What she writes about "ambiguous loss" is particularly helpful, since she validates the very real grief that people go through when they lose relationships to conflict. She also writes to both offended parties and offenders, directing some of her messages to people who are seeking forgiveness. For example, when she is writing about different stages of Joseph's story, she will highlight ways that his brothers worked through their own guilt and began to show signs of sincere repentance.

This book will encourage people in a variety of difficult life situations. I would recommend this to Christians dealing with church hurt, unresolved conflicts from the past, and current conflicts with loved ones. Many people will also find Alsup's perspective on racial issues helpful, since she provides examples about the strain of dealing with past and present racial injustices while working towards reconciliation and justice. Overall, I am impressed with this book's range, sensitivity, and biblical teaching, and believe it will minster to many people.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Gailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The path toward reconciliation is not for those who want to avoid pain. It is for those willing to walk through the pain, believing that God has called us to something better than our status quo of broken relationship".

It almost seems inevitable that at some stage in our lives we will experience the pain of broken relationships. In some cases, we are the source of the hurt while in others we are on the receiving end. This theme of broken relationships is all the more tragic when we see it as a consequence of the rift that now exists between God and man because of our sin. The Gospel, however, shows us that forgiveness and restoration are not only possible in our spiritual lives, but also in hopelessly strained personal conflicts.

In “I Forgive You”, Wendy Alsup provides an insightful look into the Biblical understanding of forgiveness by examining a very familiar Genesis narrative – the story of Joseph. By spotlighting key relational moments that many of us have overlooked, Wendy helps us to identify the source of division, the importance of identifying and repenting of sin, and the pathway to reconciliation.

It is rightly acknowledged that the road to forgiveness is a tough one and this book is careful not to provide overly simplistic solutions or glib remarks. From her personal accounts of navigating emotionally charged division in her church life, it is clear that she has a deep sympathy and care for those who yearn for things to return to how they once were.

I’m not entirely sure I align with every perspective presented in “I Forgive You”, but I do believe that for many it will be a welcome source of refreshment in current turmoil. For others, it will greatly help to reframe how they approach conflicts in the future.

[Kim W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Wendy Alsup has challenged and encouraged me with her new book “I Forgive You.” She takes a detailed look at one of the most beautiful lessons on forgiveness in Scripture, the story of Joseph. Throughout her thorough exegesis of Genesis 37-50, she weaves her personal experiences with ambiguous loss, broken relationships, and physical pain and how God used all those circumstances to teach her both the cost and the immense blessing of forgiveness. Ultimately, she reminds the reader that Joseph’s story, her story, and your story all point to THE story - the grand story of Christ’s redemption and forgiveness toward his image-bearers.

“I Forgive You” will remind you of how much you have been forgiven and leave you thankful while urging you to reach further to forgive those who have harmed you for the glory of God.

[Amaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I highlighted many parts of the book, but those were the only parts that were worth it. I don't know. It felt a little forced in parts and woke(ish) in others. And that she was reaching in her exposition of Joseph's story. Just wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I felt like I learned more about forgiveness in the Walking Through Fire memoir I recently read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Forgive You: Finding Peace and Moving Forward When Life Really Hurts by Wendy Alsup


"I forgive you. …...what do these words mean to you? Are these words you still long to hear? Are they the words you still struggle to say? Maybe they are the words you have heard but can't quite believe or the words you have said but still battle to really mean."


Wendy writes about her own journey to forgive and the forgiveness that she has seen from others that has touched her soul. She talks about divorce, spiritual abuse, and racism. She encourages us to do our very best to make reconciliation "as far as it depends on you" and as far as it is safe to do so. We are encouraged to look at our own hearts to see if we have to ask forgiveness from any one. 


This book digs into the life of Joseph and his own journey to forgiveness. There are questions about the complexities of the recores account that we will never know the answers to, but Wendy asks them. Many of the points she makes while dissecting the chapters of Genesis are very eye opening.  


This book would be a very helpful addition to anyone who is struggling to forgive and for anyone who clings to Joseph's story of forgiveness. It is a short 8 chapter book but is full of amazing advice and great nuggets of wisdom. 

[Rebecca Straub · Rating 5 out of 5]

By fleshing out Joseph's painful journey of forgiveness with his dysfunctional family, "I Forgive You" gives us the biblical ground work needed to respond like Joseph in our relationships to others and even more importantly with the Lord. We all need this book in our personal tool chest to remind ourselves and to share with others the realities of biblical forgiveness.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I qualify this by saying I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I’m not going to hide the fact I’m a fan of Alsup’s other works. Her biblical references are spot on and her doctrine is sound. The writing style is clear, the tone kind.

As I was reading this book I was in the midst of a conflict that has weighed on me for over a year. Wendy’s timely words have helped me understand and apply some of the wisdom expressed in the book.

[Jenn Whitmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgiveness gets a bad rap and held responsible for too much. Alsup uses personal pain (and really betrayal) on many levels to demonstrate genuine, Biblical view of what forgiveness really is.

[Lisa Humphries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderful book. To have forgiveness modeled to us through the life of Joseph is an incredible lesson indeed. This book gives hope to those who need to forgive and those who need to ask for forgiveness. Wendy brings the story of Joseph vividly alive as she walks the reader through the necessary steps toward forgiveness and reconciliation.

[Catherine Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Forgive You by Wendy Alsup is her own personal testimony with church conflict. She teaches on the life of Joseph by showing us what forgiveness is, what it looks like, and how we get there. She does an excellent job chronologically detailing the account of Joseph’s life. Her book helps us to see how forgiveness and reconciliation happened in the lives of Joseph and his brothers. Interwoven throughout the book is snippets of her personal testimony from when she was on staff at Mars Hill to after she and her family left Mars Hill. In many ways, I resonated with parts of her story. It was such an encouraging, convicting, and hope filled book! I found it to be an easy and quick read. One I would highly recommend! This book has also been therapeutic and healing for me in many ways as well. It has brought me great encouragement, and has set me on a path of peace and hope. I am loving reading and studying books and bible passages on forgiveness and reconciliation right now! So thankful for this book and how God used it to comfort me and encourage me.

A few Favorite Quotes:

“There were multiple moments in Joseph’s story when reconciliation seemed impossible: the gulf too wide and the pain too deep to bridge. Our path to reconciliation is complicated too-and we should acknowledge up front that not all relationships will be reconciled. We feel the grief Joseph felt, but we may not get to feel the relief of reconciliation on this side of eternity. However, that does not mean it is not worth pursuing.”

“The path toward reconciliation is not for those who want to avoid pain. It is for those willing to walk through the pain, believing that God has called us to something better than our status quo of broken relationships.”

“God puts back the broken parts of our lives in a way that doesn’t hide our cracks but allows our brokenness to become a beautiful feature of our story. Our cracks accentuate his grace when the damage is repaired. God invite us to join him in this ministry of reconciliation, showcasing the beauty of his grace as our broken relationships become repaired.”

“Jacob’s family walked a complex path to reconciliation-a path that turned back on itself at enough points to be discouraging. When our own path to reconciliation seems to stall, or the steps we take don’t seem to accomplish what we expected, we are not at the end. If you made yourself vulnerable to the one you harmed and they did not respond as you hoped, your road to reconciliation is not over. If you have forgiven the one who wronged you but they still can’t name their sin against you, your road to reconciliation isn’t at its end either. We have hope that God, in his time, will do the work in hearts that we cannot do ourselves.”

[Cat Doench · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were some good insights in this book. It is hard to forgive when people aren’t sorry and don’t feel they did anything wrong. It’s even harder when they try to paint you as the villain and destroy your reputation. This book used the story of Joseph to get a better grasp of what forgiveness really is. I completely agree that complete reconciliation cannot happen unless complete repentance takes place. The person who did the wrong does need to admit to what they did, apologize for it, and show changed behavior. Without the changed behavior, there is no true repentance. You can still forgive without the repentance or reconciliation and it is done for you, not them. This book shows we should all hope those who have wronged us come to repentance though and that God can change their hearts. The story of Joseph showed the good that came out of the pain done unto him. He became very powerful and blessed, though the pain was still there from the betrayal from his brothers. I really enjoyed the message “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
This also struck me,
“The one who conceals his sins will not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
It shows how important it is to make things right when you wrong others, and how though it might look like those who wronged you never get what they deserve and you never get justice, that’s just not true. Vengeance is the Lord’s. Though the ultimate and best outcome is that those who have sinned against us do find repentance and redemption and change for the better.

[Victor Chininin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot comment this book highly enough. Because of the author’s walk with Christ, these pages truly get it, so to speak. This is a biblical discussion, precise, complete. It does not ignore ignore difficulties and guards the truth well. From experience it knows the manipulation of forgiveness texts and is a comforting and confronting guide to the subject. Furthermore, it doesn’t allow us to hide behind oversimplifications but calls us to assume our responsibility and repent thoroughly of our sin regardless of the consequences out of a sacred heart.
This is the first book on forgiveness that I have been able to recommend wholeheartedly since I became aware of my role in church abuse in the past. May God multiply this book’s reach and impact towards true reconciliation and transformation.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really appreciate the author's sharing of her personal story and how she walked through the story of Joseph. My main criticism is that she mentions so-called "cancel culture" kind of in passing, but to me that really dampened the effect of the rest of what the book said. I suppose cancel culture is a real thing, but the way she described it was reminiscent of the way I have heard many white evangelical males describe it, as if accountability for sin is a bad thing. Without that one sentence, I would have had a different experience reading the rest of the book after it. I do think she did a good job addressing things that are extremely significant for Christians (especially white evangelicals) to recognize - pastors abusing their positions and power and systemic racism.

[Samantha Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Forgive You is written by Wendy Alsup, who I heard speak at The Gospel Coalition this summer. Alsup does an incredible job of weaving her own life’s hurts (particularly from Mars Hill Church - which she doesn’t name specifically) with the story of Joseph and his eventual reconciliation with his brothers. I think this is such an important read, because there just aren’t a whole lot of resources out there on forgiveness and what that looks like for those hurt and those who have done the hurting. She also gives a name to hurt/trauma experienced through loss of relationship, and in her case experienced through the church. Church hurt isn’t often written about and yet, since we are all human, hurt will happen even in the context of a church setting! This was a quick read, and Alsup is very engaging as an author. I highly recommend this for everyone as it offers such practical support for a common life experience.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a super deep book, but still a worthwhile read to help reorient your heart and mind in a godly direction amidst working through conflict. There were a couple minor places I felt the author took liberties with her interpretation on things we just simply can’t know based on the scripture but nothing that heretical or would lead your mind wrong thinking. I wish there had been more depth to the last couple of chapters. It felt like she spent so much time, first 6 chapters, on why forgiveness is important then kind of glosses over the what comes next portion w/the last two chapters still over all it was an excellent book.

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth having on my shelf. Nothing I didn’t already know ow, but a good presentation of Joseph’s story and of the process of forgiveness.

I read this as part of a Bible study with a fellow mom. We found plenty to talk about even without discussion questions, but I think this book is best suited not so much for a group study or even personal study as in a counseling situation or one-on-one to facilitate discussion.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyes opened. Heart opened

This book is an excellent read on a topic that is part of everyone's life. I have always loved the story of Joseph in the Bible. Now thru Wendy's explanation it has changed my life and strengthen my faith. I am sure I will pick it up again and again.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! A wonderful look at forgiveness through the life of Joseph. This book doesn't downplay the difficulty of forgiveness and gives insight into the process. The author is real and genuine as she shares her struggles as well. Very helpful!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful. Not a how-to book on how to forgive. It walks through the messy story of Joseph

[Isabella Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful reflections based around the story of Joseph

[Ann Gemmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Wendy Alsup has written a deeply honest and vulnerable book. Such a timely and valuable book for our current age. I appreciate her truthfulness but done is a respectful and honoring way…. even to those who hurt her deeply by acts of commission and omission. What makes this book so very helpful is while she shares her journey, she concurrently unpacks what she found as she dove deep into the biblical account of Joseph in the Old Testament. This is one which should be read by anyone who is facing the challenge of forgiveness - so essentially everyone! I so appreciate her generous and irenic perspective. She never defaults to empty platitudes or simple solutions. Highly recommend this book to anyone - but particularly a valuable resource for those in ministry, including counselors and spiritual directors.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

She masterfully unpacks the story of Joseph in Genesis to talk about the costliness and beauty of forgiveness. Helped me understand why forgiveness and justice are not mutually exclusive and how the Gospel truly is the power to forgive like Christ has forgiven us.