Didn't See It Coming!

At the end of July, I received an advance copy of Didn't See It Coming by Carey Niewhouf.  It took a little longer than I planned to read the whole book and a lot longer than I was hoping to write this review.  A couple of things came up this summer that I didn't see coming.

The book is written from a Christian perspective and would be helpful for those in or considering ministry.  At the same time, the seven challenges are hurdles every leader will face in life.  I appreciate Carey's statement on page four.

I've tried to strike a tone in this book that works for those who are skeptical of Christianity and for those who passionately follow Jesus.  As a result, this book may end up not feeling Christian enough for those who are Christians and too Christian for those who aren't.  If that's the case, I may have hit the mark.

Didn't See It Coming has proven to be so very helpful to me considering some of my current circumstances.  The seven challenges are cynicism, compromise, disconnection, irrelevance, pride, burnout, and emptiness.

Two things that make this book very helpful:

1. Carey's openness in talking about struggles he, and probably everyone, has faced,
2. The eternal foundational hope that comes from Jesus Christ.  In the chapter on pride entitled "Habits of the Humble," Carey shares some ways to never lose your gratitude.  One of these is "Fall more in love with the Giver than you ever do with his gifts."

My copy is filled with highlights and many of them are not just because of good information.  They are statements or stories that God used in my heart and life.  This will definitely be a book I reread and recommend.