Authors old and new have tackled the problem of pain—C.S.Lewis and Phil Yancey come to mind. Among the few who have written from personal experience are Amy Carmichael (Rose from Briar) and Nancy Guthrie, the author of Holding On To Hope.

Writers on this challenging theme often lean heavily on the book of Job. Guthrie is no exception, gleaning insights from the patriarch’s experience that she deftly weaves into the tapestry of her own and her family’s suffering.

It is amazing the number of “shafts of light” that shine forth in the midst of Job’s darkest hours-—rays of hope in the midst of despair.

It all began shortly after the birth of Nancy’s and David’s second child, whom they named Hope. On the second day of Hope’s life a geneticist who examined her told them Hope had a metabolic disorder called Zellweger Syndrome. She was missing something in her cells called peroxisomes, which rid cells of toxins.

Then he dropped the bomb; that she would probably not live more than six months.

Beginning with that “Job” moment, Nancy Guthrie leads us step by step through the experiences and emotions of those short yet seemingly long months of life with Hope. Looking after their gradually weakening little girl was not easy, but her parents’ love for her and enjoyment of her still gave them many precious memories.

Guthrie includes 13 brief chapters; each titled by a single word pertinent to the suffering experience, e.g. Loss, Tears, Comforters, Submissions, etc. The author recounts the gamut of their feelings and tells how the God of all grace met and revealed Himself to them. She also highlights the ministryof friends who helped, sometimes materially, gave words of counsel at opportune times and often, most precious of all, sat silently with her and wept.

Finally Hope reached the end of her brief life, but trials were not over for the Guthries. Since they run a 25 per cent risk that any future children will be stricken with the same syndrome, they decided it was best to submit to surgery to prevent further pregnancies.

But their precaution notwithstanding, God overruled and Nancy became pregnant again. Prenatal tests revealed that their baby boy also had but six months to live.

This seems almost too much. Why Lord, why? But one lesson the Guthries have learned along the way is to substitute “Why Lord?” with “For what purpose, Lord?” The Lord sees them through this second “tragedy” as well, and one is tempted to ask if part of His purpose was not the writing of this little gem of a book. I highly recommend it.

Bert Warden is a freelance writer, retired missionary, and Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor