The Gift of the Unexpected by Jillian Benfield

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Discovering Who You Were Meant to Be When Life Goes Off Plan

Jillian is pregnant with her second child when she received the diagnosis that her son has a 99% chance of having Down Syndrome. She struggled and wrestled with feeling like her life had gone off script. She had a plan for her life that included smooth roads, ideal living conditions, and perfect children. This is her story.

If I'm being honest, I found her a bit whiny about the whole thing. I want to be gracious because everyone's story is different, but I too have experienced that call from the doctor that said your child's ultrasound showed some suspicions for Down Syndrome. I too have cried over the idea. And I would say that is where the similarities ended. I will not deny that it is hard, but it felt a bit like wallowing to me. 

But even so, I felt like there were things to be learned on the journey of the unexpected until I started to realize that her theology and mine were very different. She seems to question the idea of hell, believes in millions of years, and leaves the option open for the Bible to be more good literature versus true stories. 

Because of that, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book. I don't like to do this because I believe authors put a lot of work into their books and I want to help them succeed, but I also cannot espouse things contrary to my own beliefs.

I received this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. 




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