Book Review

 

Hello friends,

I am taking part in a book review thingy, so here are my thoughts on the book "Helping Those Who Hurt" by Barbara Roberts:

Book Review
Helping Those Who Hurt, by Barbara Roberts

As soon as I had this book in hand, it instantly reminded me of another book by NavPress called, “When I Lay My Isaac Down” by Carol Kent. So I got that book out, and compared the covers…and I am pretty sure that Kent’s book cover inspired Roberts’. The torn pages, the two dried flowers, the block and script lettering. They are nearly identical. Then I looked at the publisher to find that Kent’s book was also NavPress. I found that quite interesting knowing that both books would be used to encourage the hurting. And while they do just that, they are quite different in their approach.

While Kent’s story is her personal story of anguish and what God taught her through it, Roberts’ books is a practical handbook to helping hurting people. It is most certainly not a read-through book, as it is filled with nearly 100 to-do lists for helping those who hurt. But, if your ministry is helping hurting people, it is a very good resource.

The book is separated into different chapters and sections, depending on the type of hurt you are working with. From grief and loss to domestic violence, there is practical information to help any situation. After reading it, there were numerous things I wished I had done differently when ministering to grieving friends of my own.

What I liked most about this book is Roberts’ suggestions to not use “pad answers” and “power scriptures” in times of great emotional pain. She suggests that what they really need is someone to walk their painful journey with them. She says, “Don’t offer any comfort with the words, ‘Well, at least…’ Anything that follows those words serves only one purpose: minimizing their pain.” While we often times try to help with our words, we don’t know the pain we are inflicting on the hurting souls we speak them to.

If you regularly minister to those who are hurting, this is a great book. It is very practical, and obviously rooted in years of experience.