It’s true that when life knocks you down, you’ve got to get back up, but that’s certainly easier said than done, especially if your head and your heart aren’t in a place to receive the blessing that comes with adversity. Although Michelle McKinney Hammond’s Get Over It and On With It (WaterBrook Press; $17.99) doesn’t make life seem like a piece of cake, it refuses to offer a nice, neat plan to help you put the pieces back into place.
Instead, the book makes you think a little harder and dig a little deeper to discover your own path, intertwining Bible verses and the story of Job to make you realize that even in the midst of difficulty, having something or someone that you believe in will see you through.
McKinney Hammond starts the book with a chapter called “Rest.” It sounds contradictory, considering the title is a call to action, but she immediately assures the reader that resting is a step in the right direction: “You might be thinking, ‘Now is not the time to rest. I’ve been stagnant long enough.’ So you’ve been lethargic. Not doing much of anything and caring even less. It’s alright. Let yourself go there for now,” McKinney Hammond writes.
She eloquently discusses the need for rejuvenation by using the example of Sundays as a day of rest. Yet, she says, many no longer take time to simply
rest and share quality time with family. “When you’ve come to the end of your road and carried one heavy burden too many, truly it is time to stop and rest.” At the end of every chapter, Hammond offers questions to ask yourself to get on the road to recovery. If it’s your time to rest, ask yourself the following questions:- What happens to your present problem when you bury yourself in present activities?
- What keeps you from resting?
- What are you afraid to hear if you stop to rest?
- Do you associate resting with failure or being out of control?
- What do you think will happen if you stop trying to make things happen? Will things change if you don’t?
- Do you trust God to handle things? Why or why not?
Questions like these offer insight on how to heal by facing your circumstance head-on. For instance, in a section on getting help, McKinney Hammond asks questions to help you think beyond your circumstance, such as “Is there someone you trust to share your concerns with? What steps will you take to reach out in your situation rather than withdrawing?”
Depending where you are in your life, these questions can guide you. If, for instance, you’ve been struggling with reaching a goal, the author’s questions may be the impetus for you to move in a different direction. The purpose of the book is “to help liberate you from struggles, give you practical principals that you can apply to any trial and point the way to personal and spiritual breakthrough,” says McKinney Hammond.
McKinney Hammond covers everything from dealing with the isolation of depression to forgiving those who have hurt you. The Bible is her tool of choice to help you decide where you are in life and how to move past it if necessary. This is a well-meaning read that will force you to face some areas you may have been avoiding. Nonetheless, if you are honest with yourself, you’ll come away with a lighter spirit and the strength to get over it and on with it.