Book Review--Undone by Michele Cushatt

I first heard Michele on Michael Hyatt's podcast when she joined him as a cohost.  I listened to Michael introduce her and then hopped over to her website and browsed around a bit and fell in love with her openness and honesty and the struggles she has been through.

When I heard about her book, Undone--A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life, I ordered it to learn more about her and the struggles and victories (and defeats) she's had and just get to know her a bit better.



And guys, she's been through it all (and is still going through it, with yet another cancer diagnosis and treatment after the book was written).  This book is so genuine and so honest.  She writes about divorce, struggles through addictions, blended families, adoption, cancer, sickness, hard kids, and faith.

"This is the true test of parenting, when you find your child in a mess of their making and you have to decide whether you'll guard your heart and keep him at arm's length, or love him in the middle of it.  Not agree with him, condone his behavior, or rescue him.  Maybe not even like him.  But there is strength in the person who digs deep to both disagree and love with equal passion.  To make convictions known, maybe even say goodbye. But who, at the end of all the tough decisions, has the guts so say, "I love you.  And that won't ever change."

I think Michele will be the first to tell you that she doesn't have it all together, but the pain, problems, and questions are familiar to anyone who has wondered why life hits so hard sometimes... and seeing how she moved through them, sometimes with victory and sometimes crushing defeat.  But through it all I could see God's grace on her, and how He is developing her as a woman of tremendous impact for Him, who is very relatable to the rest of us.

If any of you are struggling through hard kids, divorce, re-marriage, cancer, grief, or any other pain, Michele's words will walk alongside you and help you remember where your hope comes from.

She's not perfect (which I love) and there are no cliche sayings about looking about the brighter side.  It's true, aching, painful growth through trial.  And it is beautiful.

Cancer, as heinous and evil as it was, had delivered an unexpected gift.  It taught us how to live.  Not in regret over all the ways we wished we could go back and do it over.  Not in mourning the countless unfinished, undone places that yet remained.  And not in fear of the unknown future we couldn't predict or control.  Cancer--in both its presence and absence--had taught me the immeasurable value of today. 

I received this book as part of a blogger review program.  The review is honest and my own.