From the Shelf: Angry Conversations With God by Susan E. Isaacs
For three years at least once a week and sometimes more I made the one and a half hour drive both ways to Knoxville for my Ph.D. work. Friends and acquaintances would often feel sorry for me.
Seriously? I have four children. I would get in that car with my coffee and snack, put in my book on CD and head on down the road. I will miss those trips. They were quite enjoyable for me.
I made it through quite a few books on CD during that time and one of my most enjoyable ones was called Angry Conversations With God: A Snarky But Authentic Memoir. Written by comedian and actor, Susan E. Isaacs, it is an honest, hilarious, and sincere look at her questions about God and her faith. She takes a creative approach in her writing as she explores her faith journey. She details her personal work in therapy and says she is having relationship problems with God so she is taking Him to “relationship counseling” with a couples therapist.
So, being the therapist who happens to be trained in working with relationships, of course, I love this.
She tries out a few couples therapists before she finds the right fit. With her relationship consultant, who happens to be a Christian, along for the journey, she explores her story that involves some funny and many painful moments with the church. As you trek with Susan through her faith terrain you aren’t sure where she will end up at the end of this thing.
I guess that is true for all of us at times. Some of her struggles might seem familiar.
Susan reminds us of the importance of telling your story authentically and for processing your pain.
If you are in or have had seasons of questions, doubt and pain you will enjoy the room this book offers for that kind of processing…for these are not usually signs that we are losing our faith…but growing it.
I loved this book! Thank you for recommending it.
I am so glad, Angela! I obviously enjoyed it, too. Another book that is very similar, but without the faith element is Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. It is VERY funny.