Finding Spiritual Whitespace {A Book Review}

This post is part of the  “Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour” which I am a part of, along with a group of soulful, journeying kindreds. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!  

I don't know where to begin. Sometimes you read a book and you are just left...speechless. It's so what you needed to hear. To read. Bonnie's book reached deep inside me and wouldn't let go. In the end, I found whitespace.

It was her story...the abuse she suffered at the hands of others. I, too, have suffered through similar scenarios. It was the panic attacks she had endured. I could more than identify with her because I, too, had experienced their overwhelming fury. It was her desire for rest. My desire also. To be at rest with the life that I have. To be at rest with where God is taking me. To be at rest with what happened in the past. To find spiritual whitespace.

Bonnie weaves her story in each chapter as she discusses how we rest in God...how we find whitespace. Her story is gripping. I simply couldn't put it down. The little girl abused by an angry mom and abandoned by her father. How does someone recover from that type of rejection? How do you survive the pain and go from panic to peace? The answer is in the whitespace. Peace is a Person. Only when we bring ourselves to Him and pursue rest can we heal and be at peace with the past, the present, and the possibilities in the future.

At the end of each chapter she has three sections that all serve as journaling prompts or ideas to use to have those "whitespace" {rest} moments with God.  I haven't done all the prompts, but the ones I did do were therapeutic to my soul.  Opportunities to be honest with myself and God.  Here are a few samples...

Picture Jesus withdrawing often to lonely places. What thoughts or feelings does this image stir in you?

When have you felt cut up?

What new choices can you make to reclaim life the way God intended for you?

At the end of the book, Bonnie, creates a menu.  Yes, a menu...where she serves up ideas on how to create whitespace in your life.  There are a plethora of ideas!  Each coffee drink on the menu {after all, Bonnie is the "Faith Barista"} covers a different area of life: Creative Cappuccino, Adventure Latte, Friendship Mocha, and Soul-Care Espresso.  These are well worth exploring and using to rest in Christ.

If you are struggling with stress, seeking healing, or in need of some serious rest, then I would highly recommend that you get Bonnie's book.  All I can say is...life-changing!

Bonnie Gray is the writer behind Faith Barista.com who wrote a book about her inspiring, heart-breaking journey to find rest, which garnered Publisher’s Weekly starred review. I’m taking the journey to find rest through this guidebook and invite you to read it too.  You can get a copy HERE.