It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

Title: It’s Okay Not to Be Okay
Author: Sheila Walsh
Series: N/A
Genre: Christian Living
Publishing Date: October 2, 2018

About the Book:

We’ve all experienced that moment where we wish we could start all over again. Failed marriages, lost friends, addictions, lost jobs. This is not the life we imagined. Yesterday can sometimes leave us stuck, sad, shamed, scared, and searching. Sheila Walsh encourages readers to face the pain head on and then start again, from right where they are. She shares that when she discovered “I’m not good enough and I’m good with that,” everything started to change.

In It’s Okay Not to Be Okay, Walsh helps women overcome the same old rut of struggles and pain by changing the way they think about God, themselves, and their everyday lives. She shares practical, doable, daily strategies that will help women move forward one step at a time knowing God will never let them down.

My Review:

This book carries a message that desperately needs to be heard by today’s women. We feel a constant pressure to showcase our lives to the world as if we have it all together and that our lives run perfectly. Spend five minutes on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest and you’ll see exactly what I mean. But when hardship hits, it makes sense that you won’t be okay. It makes sense that you will have a time of suffering and need support and encouragement in the Lord to lift you back up. Life is hard and there doesn’t need to be shame surrounding a need for help.

This was a study that I consider a great read for all women. For women in ministry it can be helpful for a few reasons. There’s the typical words of wisdom to help other women going through struggles, but there’s also the words from a woman in the spotlight of women’s ministry admitting that she, herself has times when she is not okay. It’s an encouragement for women that we don’t have to pretend life is perfect when it feels like the walls are caving in. God meets us where we are at not where we think we should be. There is nothing hidden from God. Nothing will surprise Him. He WANTS us to come to Him.

Everyone has different experiences in life that have caused brokenness. Some have been abused sexually, physically,  and/or mentally. Others have dealt with infidelity, divorce, cancer, death, or any other situation that can leave someone feeling shattered. Some things are easier to process and move on from quicker than others. Some wounds are deep enough that they take years or even decades to heal from. To expect that we can be “okay” at all times simply isn’t achievable. On the flip side however, Sheila urges the reader to not allow their wounds to become a part of their identity. It’s a choice we need to make to seek healing.

This book is a message women need to hear. We shouldn’t be judgmental towards others who are going through tough times. We should feel safe to admit when we are struggling. We can choose to be either a part of the problem or part of the solution. I hope you take the time to read it and hope that it blesses you as it has blessed me.

*I Received a free copy of this book from Baker Books Publishing. I was not required to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

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