Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet

I picked up Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet by Sara Hagerty based almost completely on the absolutely stunning, gorgeous cover. I like the Bible verse the title is based off of as well ("The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.", Proverbs 27:7), and am currently going through some "bitter things", so I figured I could benefit from this book. The description reads:

"In the age of fingertip access to answers and a limitless supply of ambitions, where do we find the God who was birthed in dirt and straw? Sara Hagerty found him when life stopped working for her. She found him when she was a young adult mired in spiritual busyness and when she was a new bride with doubts about whether her fledgling marriage would survive. She found him alone in the night as she cradled her longing for babies who did not come. She found him as she kissed the faces of children on another continent who had lived years without a mommy’s touch.

In Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet, Hagerty masterfully draws from the narrative of her life to craft a mosaic of a God who leans into broken stories. Here readers see a God who is present in every changing circumstance. Most significantly, they see a God who is present in every unchanging circumstance as well.

Whatever lost expectations readers are facing—in family, career, singleness, or marriage—Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet will bring them closer to a God who longs for them to know him more. What does it look like to know God’s nearness when life breaks? What does it mean to receive his life when earthly life remains barren? How can God turn the bitterness of unmet desire into new flavors of joy?

With exquisite storytelling and reflection, Hagerty brings readers back to hope, back to healing, back to a place that God is holding for them alone—a place where the unseen is more real than what the eye can perceive. A place where every bitter thing is sweet."

I was a bit surprised by the format of this book - it seemed like it was going to be a self help/spirituality type book, but it's actually a memoir laid out more like a devotional. Hagerty takes us through her rough first few years of marriage, infertility, adoption, etc. She's gone through many trying and bitter times and has leaned on and trusted in God to make them sweet. I enjoy reading memoirs, so I liked this book, but it wasn't quite what I expected. I did glean some great truths and gems, so it was definitely worth reading. I recommend this book to anyone going through a "bitter" time or who enjoys reading memoirs.

I received a copy of this book from BookLook bloggers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.