Made for Hope: Discovering Unexpected Gifts in Brokenness

by Sara R. Ward

Overview

How do you survive when life falls apart?

Life can change in an instant. Sara Ward understands this deeply.

In less than forty-eight hours, her world is turned upside down by two devastating tragedies. The heartbreaking loss of her child forces her to wrestle with difficult questions:

How will I survive this? Can anything good come out of brokenness?

As she searches for answers, she discovers a new purpose and a life-changing realization. From the worst pain, beautiful gifts can emerge.

Made for Hope shows us what God has to offer in the midst of our brokenness as we grasp to make it through a difficult season.

A heartfelt and vulnerable story, it provides hope for those who have gone through grief and loss.

Made for Hope offers us:

• fifteen unexpected gifts we can find in brokenness, no matter the circumstances
• inspiration to rediscover hope, joy, peace, and redemption in our pain
• validation for all those who have grieved the death of a loved one or a dream unrealized
• hope that God can take our worst tragedies and give us surprising gifts

Made for Hope: Discovering Unexpected Gifts in Brokenness reminds us of timeless truths and enduring hope.

Made for Hope is your go-to guide for grieving friends or yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781733411004
Publisher:	Poets & Saints Publishing
Publication date:	10/29/2019
Pages:	286
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.64(d)

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Introduction

PART ONE: BEFORE

1 No Going Back

2 When Your Life is Split in Two

3 Laying Down Your Dreams

4 The Journey to You

5 When Life Takes a Detour

6 One Breath at a Time

7 Stay Strong, Mama

8 Wanting What You Cannot Have

9 You Are Not Alone

10 Not What I Signed Up for

11 He Is Not Silent

12 The Beginning of the End

13 The Question You Cannot Answer

PART TWO: AFTER

14 Finding the Gifts of Brokenness

15 Treasures in the Darkness

The First Treasure: The Gift of Trust

16 Mind the Gap

The Second Treasure: The Gift of Filling the Gap

17 Those Who Sit with Us

The Third Treasure: The Gift Of Understanding

18 The Intersection of Joy and Pain

The Fourth Treasure: The Gift of Joy

19 Letting Go

The Fifth Treasure: The Gift of Hope

20 Small Victories

The Sixth Treasure: The Gift of Vulnerability

21 Kicked Out of the Club

The Seventh Treasure: The Gift of Identity

22 Love Heals

The Eighth Treasure: The Gift of Love

23 The Mountains Bear the Scars

The Ninth Treasure: The Gift of Healing

24 Starting Over

The Tenth Treasure: The Gift of Purpose

25 Nobody Can Do This for You

The Eleventh Treasure: The Gift of Faith

PART THREE: BEGINNING AGAIN

26 Choosing Brave

The Twelfth Treasure: The Gift of Peace

27 The Center of Loss and Joy

The Thirteen Treasure: The Gift of Perseverance

28 Made for Hope

The Fourteenth Treasure: The Gift of Redemption

Epilogue

The Fifteenth Treasure: The Gift of Rebirth

Acknowledgements

My Gifts to You

Resources on Grief and Loss

Notes

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Sara’s bravery and honesty in telling her story make Made for Hope a compelling and impactful read. As a personal friend of Sara’s, who already knew most of these stories before reading the book, I still couldn’t put it down! It was that well-written and moving! Sara's expression of her own heartbreak, joy, growth, and faith challenged and encouraged me in my own life and faith. -Christy Cabe, author, Brownie Crumbs and Other Life Morsels and If Only It Were a Piece of Cake

So many times, stories about loss leave us despondent and fearful. Sara and Sam’s journey with their son, Silas, is a reflection of grace and soulful resilience. What a joy to hear their testimony as a song of victory and not merely a test of survival. As readers, you will be blessed by the beautiful authenticity of emotion, expressed through a young couple’s pursuit of God’s calling to live in family. -Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, President, Huntington University

Made for Hope tells an achingly beautiful story full of twists, turns, and tragedies and one woman's fierce determination to discover God in every unexpected place. Through her vulnerable storytelling and as one who understands pain and brokenness, Sara Ward comes alongside the reader as a guide who points us to the one true guide we have in Jesus and encourages us to see that we are made for hope. -Kristin Vanderlip, author, Life Worth Living: A Daily Growth Journal

This book is a gift to anyone who reads it. I cried alongside Sara in her pain and rejoiced in her blessings and victories! Her words were so beautifully crafted that I didn’t want to put the book down. Not only is this story a work of art, it pulls at every emotion you have. Made For Hope is the perfect example of how God uses all things for good. -Vanessa Luu, author, You Don’t Have to be Perfect

Sara Ward’s comforting and gentle style carries you through the heartbreak of a profound loss, but just as gently she lifts your gaze toward hope found in new chapters of her life, and even more importantly, in Jesus and his promises of a joyous tomorrow. This beautifully written book will be an incredible encouragement to many who read it and share in Sara’s story. -Jeff Jacobson, author, I Have (Had) Enough: Memoirs of Abundance in Fatherhood, Friendship, and Faith and So I Go Now: Following After the Jesus of Our Day.

In sharing her “before and after” stories, Sara weaves a tapestry of how relationships, nature, and God’s Word fit together. Whether you are going through tough times or wanting to come alongside someone who is, this book is eye-opening. -Twyla Lee, LCSW, social work educator, Intentional Relationships co-consultant and speaker

Through this modern-day Job story, Sara helps us to realize that even in life‘s darkest valleys we were made for hope! -Julie Rupp, podcast host, Parenting Tomorrow’s Leaders

Made for Hope is a story that weaves us through life’s most bitter and joyous events. Sara’s extraordinary gift for storytelling allows us to face our own fears and realize that we, too, are made for hope. -Lori Clounie, blogger, Only God

Authenticity. Sara tells her story with vulnerable authenticity. She brings you with her as she journeys through loss, heartbreak, grief, joy and hope. A great validation for all those who have grieved the death of a loved one or a dream unrealized and a wonderful tribute to her son, Silas. Prepare to be blessed. -Jane Munk, MA, MBA, founder of Kerith Brook Retreats for Grieving Adults

From the Publisher