I feel like I’m about to burst into tears all the time. Perhaps I didn’t pray enough, exercise faith enough, oppose the devil enough. I can hardly pray at the moment though. Feelings of spiritual failure haunt me.
Honest transparency accompanied by gentle playfulness makes Sheridan Voysey’s latest book, “Resurrection Year” a refreshing contribution to an understanding of the human condition and the workings of God in the harshness of life.
Former Sonshine fm announcer and Open House host, Sheridan Voysey and his wife Merryn open not only their front door, but the doors of their hearts and minds to give readers a glimpse of their personal grief and the journey of healing through what they called their “Resurrection Year”.
For 10 years the couple struggled with childlessness, battling the issues associated with infertility, including IVF and adoption. “Resurrection Year” traces some of that journey giving the reader an insight into the heart of a couple who have a deep faith in God, yet experience real human emotions of grief, anger, disappointment and doubt.
God, this is cruel—leaving us in this wilderness. We’ve walked round in circles for years—tired, thirsty, and confused. One minute we’ve glimpsed the Promised Land, and the next minute you’ve barred us from entering it.
With the words of a friend ringing in their ears that they should take a “resurrection year”, Sheridan and Merryn left successful careers in Australia to take a holiday in Europe before settling into a new life in England. For them it was not just a case of starting a new life, but of grappling with the issues around childlessness and seeking God’s direction for them in accepting and understanding their place in a world where everything around them reminded them of what could have been.
What are we to be? Who will we become? Will we forever feel sad as we walk past a playground, with its parents and toddlers and games of tag?
This is not a book that ends on a victorious note of prayers being answered, but it does end with a deep sense that the God who encompasses the earth is fully present in the lives and home of those who trust in Him. This is a book that addresses the realities of life through the experience of two people and their journey together through grief and hope. It’s a book that reassures the reader that even when life doesn’t seem to be handing out the answers we expect, God has a gracious way of filling the empty spaces.
Sheridan Voysey: “Resurrection Year. Turning broken dreams into new beginnings”. Published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee.
Available on Amazon today.
INSPIRE NEWSCAST 