Finding Spiritual Whitespace (Book Review)

Every once in awhile a book comes along with the capacity to change you, touch you, breathe new life into what you thought you already knew. It messes with your preconceived ideas about who you are and what you are doing. It slowly seeps into your soul the way tea disperses itself  in all of it’s magnificence into hot water. You find yourself awakening to the beauty of the truths that speak out from the pages.

Every once in awhile a book comes along that has the power to convey truth in a way that it takes hold of you in personal ways in which there is no escape, unless of course you close the book and determine to remain unchanged, unscathed, bound tight in the bud.

Beauty unawakened.

Finding Spiritual Whitespace is this kind of book. It is a book that will draw you into places you may not have wanted to go. But, if you go, the way may be initially unclear, the territory uncharted, and the outcome unsure but the one thing certain is that you will not remain the same.

Bonnie Gray is the writer behind Faith Barista and the author of the new book titled Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest

I remained tight in my bud for the first 19 Chapters. I felt the pulling, as Bonnie Gray bravely shared details of her journey to wholeness, and still I resisted. But Chapter 20 broke me. See I resonated already with much of Bonnie’s pain, shame, struggle, having so long journeyed through some of my own healing paths. But the chapter titled Daddy did it. All of my defenses crumbled as I recalled my own memories or lack thereof growing up without him. Then the journey to find him, only to run from the thought of it and come full circle to my own recovered relationship with my dad, in God’s time.

I got to have my daddy back, even though I never knew him growing up. My memories were of my step-dad, and steeped high with pain, as he left my mom and started a new family, abandoning me and erasing me completely from his memory as he “moved on” with the new family. But God, brought my biological father  back into my own life at the time of his choosing and I actually was able to have him AND my mom walk me down the aisle for my wedding. Additionally I have a wonderful step mom who adores me; she’s my biggest Follower and Fan on social media!  But here, I digress…

Bonnie’s’ writing will stir your heart, and although she shares her story, she will surely have you pondering your own hidden places of past pain. Not to dwell but to discover the hidden pieces of your soul that have been left behind due to your own unique circumstances.

“We are afraid to face the truth about ourselves. Our past, dreams, break-ups, fathers and mothers, addictions and stories of brokenness. The shame. Of what we’ve done. Of what was done to us. We want to obliterate it.We don’t want our worst fears to come true. No one would want us. No one would love us anymore. So we become fragments of stories. We are not whole.”

Fragments.

Have you ever felt you were living a fragmented life?

I have.

I have loved reading this book and and know it is a rare gem. Each chapter ends with a  number of excellent prompts for reflection and journal writing. Each chapter opens up a new doorway of opportunity for healing and wholeness.

Whether you have experienced childhood abuse, neglect, or just struggle in connecting with God, I think this book will take you to a place of rest that is often longed for and also regularly missed.

“The world calls us to hide our stressed -out selves. But Jesus calls us to a radical new rest: Draw near. As is.”

Finding “Spiritual Whitespace” reminds me of  that place of rest that the Augustine mentions when He says “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

If you are curious about Finding Spiritual Whitespace and learning more, check out the video and Book Details below!

“We were never made to only do life as maintenance. God designed us to be fully alive:creative, engaged with community, and renewed by a sense of adventure. “

About the Book: Finding Spiritual Whitespace is memoir-driven guidebook for anyone longing to create space in life to draw closer to God, to rest and discover who they can become when rest becomes their heart’s everyday home.

This book chronicles Bonnie’s heartbreaking journey through painful memories, how a childhood dream unexpectedly launched her into a debilitating journey through panic attacks, insomnia and anxiety — and how creating space to feed her soul led her to create a better story for her life, one filled with beauty and meaning.

The book explores how our lives are like God’s artwork, exploring ways to create space for beauty, rest and soul care. Just as beautiful art needs whitespace, we need whitespace. We need rest. Whitespace is not blank space. It breathes beauty.

Who This Book Is For:  

Take the journey to find rest. Uncover your stories.  Make room for you. For God. For Rest.

Using soulful journaling prompts for individual reflection or intimate group discussion at the end of each chapter, anyone longing for rest in today’s fast paced and stress-frayed schedules can take the journey to find rest, feed their souls, rejuvenate and make room for beauty, for God and rest.

Visit TheBonnieGray.com to learn more.

 

I am extremely grateful to have been part of this Book Launch Team and I received a copy of my own which is already well loved and marked up nicely. Thanks, Bonnie, Revell and #SpiritualWhitespace Teammates!  May we receive that rest, as we are, always. Amen.