Whelp, here I am, four months into retirement. Do I like it? YES! Has every moment been easy in this transition....no. I floundered around for a while the last couple months, knowing that school would be starting and wondering what exactly to do with all my time. It was one of those lost days when I checked my email and found I had a message from WaterBrooke Multnomah. It was the opportunity to join one of their launch teams for a new book. I'm always ready to see what they are publishing so I opened the email and, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as if God had not only been listening to my prayers asking how to transition to this new stage of growth called retirement, but also was putting tangible help right into my hands.
The email contained an invite to read and review Daniel Fusco's new book, "You're Gonna Make It, Unlocking Resilience When Life Is A Mess."
This is my first Daniel Fusco book to read, and I didn't know what to expect, but I loaded it into my trusty Kindle and opened the page. My first impression was, wow. Not because the first few words of Fusco's book were astounding, (though they were very good) but because his writer's voice was so conversational. It was like he was sitting across the table from me, just having a nice chat and telling me a story from his past. The book continues in this conversational prose throughout. I found reading Fusco's book very comforting as if he and I were becoming friends and he was encouraging me through God's word to find peace and hope in fostering resilience as I work through life's changes.
Now, I love reading my bible, but I can't always say I love reading biblical nonfiction. Depending on the topic, I can often find them insightful but dry, almost mind numbing and I have to work at staying focused and purposeful when reading and studying. Yet Fusco's book, "You're Gonna Make It," didn't feel that way at all. He does a good job of incorporating personal accounts, pop culture references (to keep it interesting), biblical teachings and pastoral explanations. I continually felt encouraged and fed as I read. I actually spent a few nights reading it in bed and staying up a little too late because I didn't want to put it down, I just had to get to the end of the chapter. This never happens for me when I read nonfiction, so that is a true endorsement!
Now I look forward to checking out Fusco's other books but I want to encourage everyone to read, "You're Gonna Make It." No matter what stage of life you are in reader, let's face it, life is always messy and we can never foster too much resilience through the help of God.
