In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God: 31 Days of Hope, Honesty, and Encouragement for the Sufferer - Paperback

by Colleen Chao (Author)

Is it possible to face the darkest days of life with hope and joy and purpose?

The life of Colleen Chao was bright and beautiful--it was brimming with hope and possibility. She was a talented, confident, and ambitious young woman. So, Colleen never imagined that she'd swim through two decades of deep-water anxiety and depression. She didn't guess that she'd marry late, suffer years of chronic pain and illness, and give birth to a child with health complications. And never in her life did she imagine hearing the words: "Cancer. Stage four. Terminal."

In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God is born of the suffering that on its own could have crushed Colleen. Her pain, instead, opened her eyes to eternal realities and has wrought a soul of indestructible joy. How do we suffer long and well? What do we do when we feel cheated? How do we face pressing darkness? One thing Colleen has learned is that we cannot bear the suffering alone. We need lots of help. To that end, Colleen shares a precious devotional gift with the suffering soul: thirty-one days of wisdom, hope, and encouragement. Drawing upon stories from past saints, rich truths from Scripture, and habits that build joyful endurance, Colleen helps fellow sufferers to embrace one day at a time, to trust and love Jesus more, and put themselves In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God.

Back Jacket

Is it possible to face the darkest days of life with hope and joy and purpose?

The life of Colleen Chao was bright and beautiful--and brimming with possibility. She was talented, confident, and ambitious. So, Colleen never imagined that she'd swim through two decades of deep-water anxiety and depression. She didn't guess that she'd marry late, suffer years of chronic pain and illness, and give birth to a child with health complications. And never in her life did she imagine hearing the words: "Cancer. Stage four. Terminal."

In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God is born of the suffering that on its own could have crushed Colleen. Her pain, instead, opened her eyes to eternal realities and has wrought a soul of indestructible joy. How do we suffer long and well? What do we do when we feel cheated? How do we face pressing darkness? Colleen shares a precious devotional gift with the suffering soul: thirty-one days of wisdom, hope, and encouragement. Drawing upon stories from past saints, rich truth from Scripture, and habits that build joyful endurance, Colleen helps fellow sufferers embrace one day at a time. She teaches us to marvel, to be caught up in the love of Jesus, --the One whose suffers with us--and she plants us firmly In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God.

Author Biography

COLLEEN CHAO has written extensively about finding God's goodness in the unexpected chapters of her life, including singleness, chronic illness, and terminal cancer. She's worked as an editor and writer for global organizations, and an English teacher to some of her favorite people on earth—teenagers. When she's not wrangling words, she enjoys beautiful hikes, side-splitting laughter, and half-read books piled bedside. She makes her home just outside Boise, Idaho with her husband Eddie, their son Jeremy, and Willow the dog.