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Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years ... and Yours
We all experience times of hiddenness, when our potential is unseen and our abilities unapplauded. This book redeems those times by reminding us that though we often want to rush through these anonymous seasons of the soul, they hold enormous power to cultivate character traits that cannot be developed any other way!
176 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2006
763 people are currently reading
3631 people want to read
About the author
Alicia Britt Chole
16 books211 followersWhether in person or in print, Alicia's voice carries an invitation to walk with God anew. A former atheist, her love for God and His Word overflows to bring ancient truth to life.
Often described as a captivating communicator, Alicia speaks, writes, mentors, and serves as the founding director of Leadership Investment Intensives, Inc, a non-profit devoted to providing personal soul-care to leaders in the marketplace and church. Her book, Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours, is highly regarded by leaders and learners around the globe.
Alicia holds a B.A. in Plan II/Pre-Law (University of Texas, Austin), an M.A. in TESOL (University of Texas, Austin) and a DMin in Leadership and Spiritual Formation (George Fox Evangelical Seminary). Alicia and her husband of 25 years joyfully parent their three extraordinary children in a country home off of a dirt road surrounded by loads of laundry, laughter, and love.
To learn more about Alicia, visit her website at www.aliciachole.com or on twitter @aliciachole.
Favorite Quotes:
Oswald Chambers: 'My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.'
A.W. Tozer: 'The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.'
Henri Nouwen: 'Did growing older bring me closer to Jesus?'
Brother Lawrence: 'Always rejoice at being able to do little things for the love of God.'
Basilea Schlink: 'Jesus and the penitent sinner belong together.'
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
July 26, 2017
This is hands-down one of my favorite books. Less than 200 pages (and 1.5 spaced at that), this book is deceptively small for the amount of depth it packs. There were many times where I re-read paragraphs three or four times, or went back to reference or even re-read entire chapters. I will read this book again. Probably multiple times. And I highly recommend it to anyone who feels like they're in a transition period, or have been waiting, or feel like God just decided to shift them onto an entirely different trajectory. It's a beautiful book, and certainly not one you can just sit down and read in a weekend (despite how short it seems). Take some time and breathe it in. Let God teach you what he wants. You won't regret it.
December 11, 2020
Got about 3/4 of the way through and then decided I’m wasting my time. This book is advertised as being about Jesus’ hidden years and relating them to the hidden years/times/seasons of our lives. There are maybe a handful of pages that actually do that. The book is just aallll over the place. A ton of time is spent on the temptations Jesus experienced while in the wilderness and the author just repeats the same things over and over. Didn’t do anything for me.
August 16, 2024
This book showed up on my Goodreads this past spring, probably because one of my lovely friends marked it as a want to read. For some reason, the title intrigued me enough to click on it, the synopsis intrigued me enough to buy a copy, and the promise of some guidance through what has been weirdly painful season of my life had me jump in pretty much right away.
Aaaaaaaaaand...then it sat on my nightstand for I don't know like...four months?
I mean, I didn't touch it. I didn't even really think about it, other than the occasional "hmm I should probably get back to that." But I didn't. Because I wasn't feeling it. Often, when I logged on to Goodreads and saw it still sitting on my currently reading shelf, I wondered if it was doomed to be another one of those books that gets quietly removed, relegated back to the want to read shelf or removed from my radar completely.
It was not to be. Thankfully.
My therapy appointment last week made me want to spend more time in the quiet, doing things that ground me, that nurture my soul and my spirit and my heart. Y'know. The things that get so muffled and stifled by brains and work and societal responsibilities and whoever whatever. When I decided to try to start my days in quiet, this book catapulted back to the front of my brain with a rather aggressive "HEY GIRLLLL REMEMBER MEEEE?" and so I decided to start over.
Good God. What a shift in perspective this was. One that I think I've needed for the last two years but wasn't ready for until right now. Why am I always trying to live in the future, when the present has so many good things in it? Why am I living my life like it's a (pardon my language) goddamned race, trying to accomplish what I "should," to be someone I'm not, to impress everyone around me when I could...not. Everything is made up and the points don't matter. (Shoutout to Whose Line is it Anyway.)
I could dive headfirst into something that doesn't feel right just because our world, our culture tells me if I don't I'll be a failure, a spinster, doomed to be nothing, ugly, alone.
Or. I could stay put. I could keep doing yoga and going to therapy and hanging out with my parents and my brother and the dog and my cat nephew. I could keep reading books and drinking smoothies and trying learn things. I could stop rushing and just be, embrace the now, the years that are painful, when I feel unseen, like I want to do something that matters but I don't know how.
Okay. It has come to my attention that this isn't really a review, more of a journal entry. My apologies for oversharing. I'm not going to delete it though. Because honestly I think knowing how much this book shifted my perspective is a review in itself. But to take a moment to shift to more book review-y things: I did dock this one star because there were several moments where I wished Chole had kept writing, gone a little deeper, given me more. I would almost grasp what she was saying...and then the chapter would end. Most of the time though, each chapter was just enough to get me to think, and to keep thinking. (They're pretty short and kind of flow into one another, so I would recommend reading this one part at a time.)
All right, back to the journal entry.
Listen. I'm not sure about this whole God or organized religion thing. But this book was helpful in figuring some of that out too, as most interpretations of scripture and God and all of that fun holy stuff are.
So. If you're going through a transition or you feel hidden, unseen, unvalued, unimportant...I highly recommend giving this a read. I'm like 99% sure I'll find my way back to this book over my life. I hope I do. I think we all could use a reminder of the remarkable things that can happen in what seem like the emptiest of places.
(Thanks for reading my lengthy, overshare of a review. Also, shoutout to Tina for giving this book to Selena, and Selena for giving this book to Thriftbooks, and Thriftbooks for sending this particular copy of the book to me. Tina, I hope you're still turning to this book in times of transition. Selena, I hope it helped you during yours. And whoever and wherever you are, I hope you both are well. <3)
Aaaaaaaaaand...then it sat on my nightstand for I don't know like...four months?
I mean, I didn't touch it. I didn't even really think about it, other than the occasional "hmm I should probably get back to that." But I didn't. Because I wasn't feeling it. Often, when I logged on to Goodreads and saw it still sitting on my currently reading shelf, I wondered if it was doomed to be another one of those books that gets quietly removed, relegated back to the want to read shelf or removed from my radar completely.
It was not to be. Thankfully.
My therapy appointment last week made me want to spend more time in the quiet, doing things that ground me, that nurture my soul and my spirit and my heart. Y'know. The things that get so muffled and stifled by brains and work and societal responsibilities and whoever whatever. When I decided to try to start my days in quiet, this book catapulted back to the front of my brain with a rather aggressive "HEY GIRLLLL REMEMBER MEEEE?" and so I decided to start over.
Good God. What a shift in perspective this was. One that I think I've needed for the last two years but wasn't ready for until right now. Why am I always trying to live in the future, when the present has so many good things in it? Why am I living my life like it's a (pardon my language) goddamned race, trying to accomplish what I "should," to be someone I'm not, to impress everyone around me when I could...not. Everything is made up and the points don't matter. (Shoutout to Whose Line is it Anyway.)
I could dive headfirst into something that doesn't feel right just because our world, our culture tells me if I don't I'll be a failure, a spinster, doomed to be nothing, ugly, alone.
Or. I could stay put. I could keep doing yoga and going to therapy and hanging out with my parents and my brother and the dog and my cat nephew. I could keep reading books and drinking smoothies and trying learn things. I could stop rushing and just be, embrace the now, the years that are painful, when I feel unseen, like I want to do something that matters but I don't know how.
Okay. It has come to my attention that this isn't really a review, more of a journal entry. My apologies for oversharing. I'm not going to delete it though. Because honestly I think knowing how much this book shifted my perspective is a review in itself. But to take a moment to shift to more book review-y things: I did dock this one star because there were several moments where I wished Chole had kept writing, gone a little deeper, given me more. I would almost grasp what she was saying...and then the chapter would end. Most of the time though, each chapter was just enough to get me to think, and to keep thinking. (They're pretty short and kind of flow into one another, so I would recommend reading this one part at a time.)
All right, back to the journal entry.
Listen. I'm not sure about this whole God or organized religion thing. But this book was helpful in figuring some of that out too, as most interpretations of scripture and God and all of that fun holy stuff are.
So. If you're going through a transition or you feel hidden, unseen, unvalued, unimportant...I highly recommend giving this a read. I'm like 99% sure I'll find my way back to this book over my life. I hope I do. I think we all could use a reminder of the remarkable things that can happen in what seem like the emptiest of places.
(Thanks for reading my lengthy, overshare of a review. Also, shoutout to Tina for giving this book to Selena, and Selena for giving this book to Thriftbooks, and Thriftbooks for sending this particular copy of the book to me. Tina, I hope you're still turning to this book in times of transition. Selena, I hope it helped you during yours. And whoever and wherever you are, I hope you both are well. <3)
January 28, 2016
I've more or less abandoned this one. I feel like it is starting to repeat itself over and over, and I've already gleaned from this book all that I wanted to glean. That, and I think she is speculating rather wildly at this point.
January 15, 2025
“Have you ever felt hidden? If so, you are in Excellent Company.
The most influential life in all of history spent 90% of his days submerged in the unseen” (p. 176).
“Only three years, less than 10% of Jesus’ days are visible through the writings of the Bible. Over 90% of his earthly life is submerged in the unseen.
However, when we state our desire to ‘be like Jesus,’ we are not referring to Jesus’ anonymous years” (p. 9).
Admittedly, the best parts of the book are in the first 20 pages. But it’s a good read and has some excellent insights, quotes and reflections.
The most influential life in all of history spent 90% of his days submerged in the unseen” (p. 176).
“Only three years, less than 10% of Jesus’ days are visible through the writings of the Bible. Over 90% of his earthly life is submerged in the unseen.
However, when we state our desire to ‘be like Jesus,’ we are not referring to Jesus’ anonymous years” (p. 9).
Admittedly, the best parts of the book are in the first 20 pages. But it’s a good read and has some excellent insights, quotes and reflections.
March 3, 2015
A new classic for spiritual growth. A must read for all who are or aspire to be leaders.
June 12, 2018
A book that can be read in devotion-sized chunks with good insights into Jesus' hidden years, how that related to the temptation, and how it parallels our lives. Thought provoking read.
May 23, 2024
If you have talked to me in the last month and a half you know this book changed my life
February 29, 2024
Like it or not, the people of God are characterized by waiting. This is one resource full of piercing yet gentle truths to help us wait well and treasure the hidden seasons. A short and easy read that is well worth the time!!
June 22, 2022
Lots of food for thought in this book!
November 13, 2021
Initially, I was sure I didn't want to read this book. The hidden years of Jesus? How could anyone know that? I avoid books that suppose things and invent things, especially when it comes to biblical characters. But I had the opportunity to hear Chole speak and her approach to the Bible sounded very solid and appealing, so I bought her book. Chole has a unique writing style that is winsome yet powerful. The chapters are short, which is good because they contain a lot of food for thought.
In Anonymous, Chole talks about how Jesus' three years of earthly ministry was precluded by a mostly anonymous life. We have about 10 percent of his story. What happened in those 30 years prepared him for his three years in the limelight. He could face the devil in the wilderness because of being anchored in Scripture in the hidden years. She did venture to wonder what it was like for Jesus, in those waiting years, to see his father die. I never thought about that. He, who would one day raise many from the dead, would not do so, until his Father allowed him. There were 30 years of growth, self-denial and waiting his Father's timing.
Some quotes I liked:
"In the heat, I rest under the covering of their rich foliage. Bursting with shades of green, the leaves dance in the breeze. Winter's reduction is coming, but that does not halt the dance. Trees celebrate the moment...In the spring, their new growth sings of hope. Their lush greenery offers peace in the summer. In the fall, their colorful collages inspire creativity. And in their emptiness, trees grace the winter with silent elegance. Though my skin prefers their role in summer, somehow my soul prefers their lessons in winter. Then, when growth pauses, the trees have often become my teachers."
"I feel that trials do not prepare us for what’s to come as much as they reveal what we’ve done with our lives up to this point. In other words, trials tell us less about our future than they do about our past. Why? Because the decisions we make in difficult places today are greatly the product of decisions we made in the unseen places of our yesterdays."
"But the Judean desert for Jesus was not chapter 1 of his life —it was chapter 30. For almost three decades, Jesus had been making unseen choices throughout underestimated hidden years. During Jesus’ anonymous season, his choices clustered and gained momentum. Now they would become the greatest influence on the decisions he faced during what was destined to become one of the most well-known experiences in all of history: the temptation of Christ."
"Satan invited Jesus to sell his soul to purchase the world. Jesus had come to suffer for sinners. Satan suggested that he sin to avoid suffering. Jesus had come to die for the world. Satan offered him the world without dying."
"Jesus’ authority flowed not from possessions or positions but from submission. What was the surprising source of Jesus’ authority? Submission to his Father’s will and Word."
"From God's perspective, utter dependence, not self-reliance, is the true friend of our souls."
There is a lot more in this book that I loved. One thing Chole did that was so powerful was to look at the context of the scriptures Jesus used in response to the devil's temptations. Jesus' responses weren't mere verses, but couched in a deep understanding of what was truly at stake. Chole has some other books that I will look forward to reading in the future.
In Anonymous, Chole talks about how Jesus' three years of earthly ministry was precluded by a mostly anonymous life. We have about 10 percent of his story. What happened in those 30 years prepared him for his three years in the limelight. He could face the devil in the wilderness because of being anchored in Scripture in the hidden years. She did venture to wonder what it was like for Jesus, in those waiting years, to see his father die. I never thought about that. He, who would one day raise many from the dead, would not do so, until his Father allowed him. There were 30 years of growth, self-denial and waiting his Father's timing.
Some quotes I liked:
"In the heat, I rest under the covering of their rich foliage. Bursting with shades of green, the leaves dance in the breeze. Winter's reduction is coming, but that does not halt the dance. Trees celebrate the moment...In the spring, their new growth sings of hope. Their lush greenery offers peace in the summer. In the fall, their colorful collages inspire creativity. And in their emptiness, trees grace the winter with silent elegance. Though my skin prefers their role in summer, somehow my soul prefers their lessons in winter. Then, when growth pauses, the trees have often become my teachers."
"I feel that trials do not prepare us for what’s to come as much as they reveal what we’ve done with our lives up to this point. In other words, trials tell us less about our future than they do about our past. Why? Because the decisions we make in difficult places today are greatly the product of decisions we made in the unseen places of our yesterdays."
"But the Judean desert for Jesus was not chapter 1 of his life —it was chapter 30. For almost three decades, Jesus had been making unseen choices throughout underestimated hidden years. During Jesus’ anonymous season, his choices clustered and gained momentum. Now they would become the greatest influence on the decisions he faced during what was destined to become one of the most well-known experiences in all of history: the temptation of Christ."
"Satan invited Jesus to sell his soul to purchase the world. Jesus had come to suffer for sinners. Satan suggested that he sin to avoid suffering. Jesus had come to die for the world. Satan offered him the world without dying."
"Jesus’ authority flowed not from possessions or positions but from submission. What was the surprising source of Jesus’ authority? Submission to his Father’s will and Word."
"From God's perspective, utter dependence, not self-reliance, is the true friend of our souls."
There is a lot more in this book that I loved. One thing Chole did that was so powerful was to look at the context of the scriptures Jesus used in response to the devil's temptations. Jesus' responses weren't mere verses, but couched in a deep understanding of what was truly at stake. Chole has some other books that I will look forward to reading in the future.
August 21, 2024
Anonymous is now in my top five favorite books ever read! Amazing!
October 26, 2024
Patience grows well in such soil. She is the ally of a soul that makes God its primary pursuit.
A book with good insights into Jesus' first thirty hidden years, how that related to the temptation, and how it parallels our lives. A truly thought provoking read.
Listened to this audio version.
Recommend ✔️
A book with good insights into Jesus' first thirty hidden years, how that related to the temptation, and how it parallels our lives. A truly thought provoking read.
Listened to this audio version.
Recommend ✔️
December 9, 2023
shifted my view on waiting & being hidden to something so sweet & beautiful. the way she writes is like honey.
July 26, 2020
Having had my dreams and plans put ‘on hold’ for 8 years due to illness has been a hard journey. There is mourning over times lost, there is loneliness, there is a struggle to find your identity when you can’t ‘do’ anything, there is even jealousy when looking around at others who are able to keep walking as I am forced to stand still. Living in a long anonymous season with God-sized dreams in your heart is hard. And I struggled to understand what good could come out of a time like this.
This book was truly like a light switch had been flipped on and a spot light was suddenly showing me clearly what this season was meant for. Alicia Britt Chole talks about how God can truly build you up and prepare you in the anonymous seasons of life. So that when life picks up again, you are more than ready to follow God wherever He leads.
Is it easier now? No. But at least I now see that this season is not a wasted one.
Jesus spent 30 years of his life in virtual anonymity. To those he encountered he probably looked like nothing special. But in these years He was walking with God, growing, being prepared, waiting for it to be His time to do what He was meant to do. This book explains in detail what we can learn from Jesus. And how His choices during his public ministry flowed out of the walk he walked in the 30 years prior, during the hidden years.
Would definitely recommend every Christian read this.
This book was truly like a light switch had been flipped on and a spot light was suddenly showing me clearly what this season was meant for. Alicia Britt Chole talks about how God can truly build you up and prepare you in the anonymous seasons of life. So that when life picks up again, you are more than ready to follow God wherever He leads.
Is it easier now? No. But at least I now see that this season is not a wasted one.
Jesus spent 30 years of his life in virtual anonymity. To those he encountered he probably looked like nothing special. But in these years He was walking with God, growing, being prepared, waiting for it to be His time to do what He was meant to do. This book explains in detail what we can learn from Jesus. And how His choices during his public ministry flowed out of the walk he walked in the 30 years prior, during the hidden years.
Would definitely recommend every Christian read this.
July 5, 2022
been eager to read this book for so long, glad i finally got to. so much imagery! i loved how poetic it was. a really encouraging read for sure. i wasn’t expecting her to focus her thesis on the temptation of Jesus but i found how she broke it down really in depth and intentional, which made her message even stronger. there were definitely some parts i was a bit confused about her definite claims of young Jesus lol but still 5 star read. and a quick read too.
May 8, 2022
Well-written and full of wisdom, Chole’s “Anonymous” seems to be one of those hidden treasures we find in reading. Like the title conveys, this book is all about the “unrecognized, uncelebrated seasons” of life. In a theologically-sound and perceptive study, Chole brings to
our attention that “[t]he most influential life in all of history
spent 90 percent of his days submerged in the unseen” (203). Jesus spent 30 years as anonymous, entirely
submitted to the will of the Father. Chole’s chapter on
submission-based authority (rather than possession-based or position-based) is one of the best writing on leadership
I’ve read. This book will be on my permanent bookshelf.
our attention that “[t]he most influential life in all of history
spent 90 percent of his days submerged in the unseen” (203). Jesus spent 30 years as anonymous, entirely
submitted to the will of the Father. Chole’s chapter on
submission-based authority (rather than possession-based or position-based) is one of the best writing on leadership
I’ve read. This book will be on my permanent bookshelf.
Read
December 28, 2021This book was so quiet and soft, yet so wholly important. It's a very short book, but since I read it in one-chapter chunks every day or so, it took me quite a while to complete. And I'm so glad that I decided to take that time to read it; it was truly beneficial. Each day I began my morning with this, and along the day I had the wonderful opportunity to reflect on the words within the pages. This is such a gentle book, showing how being hidden and quiet are essential for our spirits, as shown through Jesus's example. I would highly recommend this beauty of a novel, it truly helped my spirit grow so much more deeply in a quiet place of rest. For it is within the quiet times, that God's presence is felt the absolute most <3 <3
June 21, 2018
This is not a book that guesses about what Jesus' first thirty years of life on earth included, but rather about the way He was shaped and formed ... and how that is revealed in the way He responded to people and lived His life. This is a great devotional read; it's best to read a few pages at a time, maybe 10 at most, and then reflect on your perspective of your own life.
October 21, 2024
Like a short spoon in a tall glass, people’s attention simply cannot reach the bottom of our profound longing to be valued. Only God can reach that place because he is the One who created that place.
October 15, 2021
As I closed this book, I held it in my hands with deep appreciation. I am so grateful for this author and her words. Oh, how I needed to hear them. I wish I would have read this book 3 years ago when I moved to Minnesota and felt completely...anonymous.
Jesus lived 90 percent of his life anonymously! And yet, look at the impact He made in the world and for eternity.
Don't despise anonymity. Learn during that season, grow in that season. God has not forgotten you.
I underlined almost half of this book. It was so incredibly powerful. I was in tears many times.
This is one of the best books I've read all year. I read it slowly to savor the words. It's a book I'll go back to because the message is so important and so beautiful.
Read this if you feel anonymous, if your dreams haven't been realized, or if you are in a new town and feel unknown.
I hope you love it as much as I did.
Jesus lived 90 percent of his life anonymously! And yet, look at the impact He made in the world and for eternity.
Don't despise anonymity. Learn during that season, grow in that season. God has not forgotten you.
I underlined almost half of this book. It was so incredibly powerful. I was in tears many times.
This is one of the best books I've read all year. I read it slowly to savor the words. It's a book I'll go back to because the message is so important and so beautiful.
Read this if you feel anonymous, if your dreams haven't been realized, or if you are in a new town and feel unknown.
I hope you love it as much as I did.
March 10, 2023
This book is about how hidden, anonymous years are periods of growth to be treasured and not periods to wait out while we get to the real thing. Most of Jesus' life is hidden to us, we have no record of it, but the premise of the book is that those hidden years are what prepared Jesus for the recorded years of ministry.
Chole uses the temptation of Jesus to make her point, and I found interesting her interpretation of what Satan was tempting Jesus with: (1) immediate gratification, (2) man's attention and awe, (3) the world's power and possession and desire for authority.
In contrast with the temptation, Chole proposes that Jesus learned many things during his hidden years that prepared him for not giving in to Satan: to be anchored in God's Word, self-control, an accurate portrait of God, an unshakable identity, trust in God's timing, a disciplined imagination, an eternal perspective, submission-based authority.
This is a short book, with very short chapters, but gives one a lot to ponder.
Chole uses the temptation of Jesus to make her point, and I found interesting her interpretation of what Satan was tempting Jesus with: (1) immediate gratification, (2) man's attention and awe, (3) the world's power and possession and desire for authority.
In contrast with the temptation, Chole proposes that Jesus learned many things during his hidden years that prepared him for not giving in to Satan: to be anchored in God's Word, self-control, an accurate portrait of God, an unshakable identity, trust in God's timing, a disciplined imagination, an eternal perspective, submission-based authority.
This is a short book, with very short chapters, but gives one a lot to ponder.
February 11, 2021
Introducing... chapter 30 - Jesus steps into our view at the age of 30. We see His life, full of miracles, full of challenging moments, full of indestructible God-given purpose; when we say "I want to be like Jesus" this is what we want - We often forget about the 30 years of anonymous living that predicated his visible life.
Alicia Britt Chole dives wonderfully into the impact of Jesus' years of obscurity and how God uses the obscure seasons of our lives to grow us toward His purposes. She poses questions that cut deep into the human psyche that allows one to think and reflect on their life in light of the presence of God.
Incredible read.
"10% seen + 90% unseen = an indestructible life"
Alicia Britt Chole dives wonderfully into the impact of Jesus' years of obscurity and how God uses the obscure seasons of our lives to grow us toward His purposes. She poses questions that cut deep into the human psyche that allows one to think and reflect on their life in light of the presence of God.
Incredible read.
"10% seen + 90% unseen = an indestructible life"
August 22, 2024
“Yes. But in that desert of anonymity Jesus made peace with God’s timing and concluded that Father God’s companionship in his life was enough.”
“But perhaps obedience simply wades into the center and lets the current of God’s presence set the pace, be it swift or still.”
“Like a tree planted by living water, we focus upon our primary responsibility: remaining in him.”
I could go on and on, but simply read this resource of honest, raw, encouragement/understanding in all seasons! Read this with close friends, your team, relationships you want to grow, or even alone.
You will come out with such gratitude for desert/unseen seasons!
“But perhaps obedience simply wades into the center and lets the current of God’s presence set the pace, be it swift or still.”
“Like a tree planted by living water, we focus upon our primary responsibility: remaining in him.”
I could go on and on, but simply read this resource of honest, raw, encouragement/understanding in all seasons! Read this with close friends, your team, relationships you want to grow, or even alone.
You will come out with such gratitude for desert/unseen seasons!
May 12, 2025
Don’t get me wrong—this book definitely packs a punch! However, I gave it a 3/5 because it’s not my favorite nonfiction Christian book I’ve read. I love how it explores Jesus’ submission in his hidden years before ministry, and there were aspects that Chole brought out that convicted me (“We are accountable before God for our imaginations as much as for our deeds”—pg. 120)! The book felt a bit repetitive and simplistic, though, which is not a bad thing—just a bit boring at times. I do feel like Chole captured some of my innermost thoughts, which is why I continued reading. Give it a shot if the topic interests you!
February 27, 2021
- sobering, humbling, moving perspective on the hidden years of Jesus' life...and the implications for our lives - whether Jesus followers or not!
- this has incredible relevance for our world, and the need to develop character in the "hidden" seasons of our lives
- one of my favorite lines: "What grows in anonymous seasons? A disciplined imagination."
Those seasons offer ample time to develop the discipline in our minds... very practical
- this has incredible relevance for our world, and the need to develop character in the "hidden" seasons of our lives
- one of my favorite lines: "What grows in anonymous seasons? A disciplined imagination."
Those seasons offer ample time to develop the discipline in our minds... very practical
August 17, 2024
WOWOWOW. I plan to revisit and reread this book for years to come. Read it in your waiting room season, read it in your hiddenness, read it in your dark night of the soul.
“The most influential life in all of history spent 90 percent of his days submerged in the unseen.”
“How can we welcome our hidden years and fully realize their potential? Wait because he is worthy. Keep the waters of your spirit sweet. Befriend stillness.”
“The most influential life in all of history spent 90 percent of his days submerged in the unseen.”
“How can we welcome our hidden years and fully realize their potential? Wait because he is worthy. Keep the waters of your spirit sweet. Befriend stillness.”
April 14, 2024
One of the best Christian books I’ve ever read. Made my heart hurt so good and gave me a whole new perspective of what it really looks like to live like Jesus did. What He did for the first 30 unknown years of His life was foundational for how he spent the final, 3 public years of His life that changed all of humanity forever.
May 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! So so helpful if you are walking through a season of feeling hidden, unseen or uncelebrated. Reminding myself that God sees me, knows me and loves me has been huge. This book walks you through Jesus’ hidden years and how it prepared Him for the time God appointed Him to be seen, just as God used my own hidden years to mold me into the woman He has created me to be.
April 27, 2023
On a podcast I heard Sadie Robertson-Huff (of duck dynasty fame, though she’s doing great work in ministry now) mention this book as life changing. Hence why I picked it up. I wouldn’t go that far though, but definitely some good stuff in here and centered around the importance of the “anonymous” chapters of life no one sees and how to build spiritual discipline in said times.
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