Winds of Grace, by Cheryl Esper Balcom

Today, Roberta talks to Cheryl Esper Balcom about her new book Winds of Grace: Losing my Father, Surrendering Control, and Growing in Faith.

“The winds of grace are always blowing. It’s up to you to raise your sails.”

It was her dad’s favorite quote, but now Cheryl’s beloved dad was dying, and she wondered if God’s grace would be enough to carry her through the loss and grief.

“How can a word that evokes images of ballet, a word that rhymes with lace for crying out loud, be enough for me in this moment?" she writes. "How can grace be sufficient when what I want are answers, miracles?”

This moving but honest memoir begins in 2005, when Cheryl experiences the first flutters of worry over her father’s ominous symptoms, which eventually lead to a cancer diagnosis. Flashing back and forth in time, from her 1970’s, John Denver-infused childhood as the daughter of Jesus Movement converts to grappling with what it means to have her own personal faith, Cheryl must come to terms with where her real security lies.

As she considers her past as a reckless teen and her adult tendencies toward perfectionism, control, and legalism, she reflects on how strong grace can be—for her and for those she loves.

This book is for anyone who has faced the crushing loss of a loved one and wondered if God was enough to fill the void. Cheryl’s story shows that we can’t control everything, and that’s okay. Surrendering to God’s grace is always the answer, making us stronger in the broken places.

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