Let me be honest, there have been times when my faith has seemed fragile... I have struggled with seeing my wife stripped of her dignity and reduced by her agony. I have doubted all kinds of things. I have exploded and lashed out. I do not like what is happening to my sweetheart one little bit. Chronic illness never goes away. Come on, realistically, how much more can we take?' 'But one thing I have never doubted is that, in the darkest circumstances, we were only ever in the hands of God. That has been the ultimate source of comfort and hope.' As Paul Mallard knows only too well, the crucible of suffering is a ghastly place to be. But lessons learned there can be powerful and memorable. And it was there that Paul and Edrie experienced 'unexpected intimacy with a loving God' who himself is no stranger to suffering. They want to use their experience and insights to help fellow sufferers too, and journey with you in your pain. Suffering can be invested well, for a higher, better purpose.
Paul Mallard has been a church minister in England for nearly forty years now. He is involved in training a new generation of church workers and he speaks at numerous conferences. He is married to Edrie and they live in Bath, UK. They have four grown-up children and numerous grandchildren. Paul is a passionate supporter of West Bromwich Albion. This is his first sole-authored book, combining autobiography, worked-out theology and pastoral care.
Title: Invest your Suffering
Author: Paul Mallard
ISBN: 9781783590063
Binding:
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
Publication Date: 2013-09-20
Number of Pages: 192
Weight: 0.2405 kg
Paul Mallard has provided wonderful support and encouragement for anyone going through difficulties and struggles. One comment which he makes sums it up: It is better to trust God in the darkness than to try to find consolation in a fake theology that offers help but ends in confusion and despair. His biblical illustrations of how God understands suffering are beautifully described, and he gives the best explanation of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ that I have ever read. His honesty in this book will bring comfort and hope to anyone who has questions about life's trials. -- Fiona Castle * speaker and writer *
Paul Mallard makes a fresh contribution to the literature on suffering for three main reasons: first, he writes with the authority born from his personal experience : You can talk about pain with some credibility when people see you have walked this road, he says. Secondly, the work is full of biblical wisdom, combining a good dose of biblical realism (his own words) with the inspiring promises and hope that are ours through Jesus and become an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Heb. 6:19). Thirdly, this is a book written with a warm pastoral heart. Full of practical insights and help for everyday life, the reader will discover a real gold mine for their own times of trouble. I am sure its reading will not disappoint anyone who, like myself, has walked through this valley before. -- Dr Pablo Martinez * psychiatrist, speaker and author of A Thorn in the Flesh: Finding Strength and Hope amid Suffering *
Absolutely riveting! The best explanation of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ that I have ever read.' -- Faith Cook * author and speaker *
The author responds biblically and creatively to why God brings intense sorrow into the life of the Christian. -- Brian H. Edwards * author, lecturer and speaker *
