Plan B by Pete Wilson

Plan B by Pete Wilson attempts to tackle the question of pain, suffering and disappointment when things in our lives don't go as planned. This is such a tough subject and I've read several books on pain, suffering and God.

On one level, this book disappoints because it did not delve as far into the issue as I would have liked and expected, yet the more I reflected on this, I thought that no book could adequately explain pain, suffering and the sovereignty of God because we simply don't know the answer, at least in the way we want. Pete Wilson did a great job communicating that and pointing to a loving, kind God we can trust, and pointing to the Cross as our hope and focus. On page 149 he says,

"You need to know the cross is not just the starting line. It is the very centerpiece of your story with God. It's the place where the pain of "you will have trouble" meets the triumph of "I have defeated the world."

While we may never have the easy answers of the "whys" when life disappoints us, it is good to reorient one's life to what has already taken place and the hope we have in what God has already done, which gives us hope for what is happening now, even if it is not what we anticipated or desired.

I enjoyed this book, thought the Biblical illustrations were engaging, and the personal illustrations were ones I could easily identify with. This is an ideal book for a person with questions that won't read C.S. Lewis' Problem of Pain or other more in-depth books. Mr. Wilson's writing is engaging and his love and care for others, as well as God shines in these pages.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy to read as part of Thomas Nelson's book blogging program with the understanding that I'd give it my fair review.