Book Review: Disrupted Journey (Nate Brooks)

I’ve only recently come to understand that walking closely with someone who has a chronic illness is its own kind of suffering. The darkest nights of my soul have been spent bearing witness to my spouse’s deep physical pain and being unable to do anything about it. Nate Brooks is uniquely poised to write on this very subject not only as a fellow believer but also as the spouse of someone who suffers from chronic illness as well.

This is a book I didn’t know I needed. It offers the rare comfort of being seen in an often unseen kind of suffering while also pointing toward the truth to be gleaned from such a journey. Nate Brooks doesn’t shy away from sharing his failures as a caregiver, as well as what he has learned from walking closely with suffering without personally experiencing the physical effects of illness.

The author describes this book as his own journey through the darkest valley his family has had to walk. He seeks to provide “companionship for fellow travelers walking this complicated road.” The book accomplishes that goal. At just 128 pages, it is not an endless diatribe on suffering; rather, it serves as a window into how suffering has shaped the author’s life and as encouragement for caregivers learning to grieve and keep walking through the valley with their loved one.

While the topic of this book is niche, if you find yourself loving someone through chronic illness, this book will encourage you. It is raw and honest—there’s no bow on the story aside from the hope of heaven, which is exactly what I loved about it. We often only hear stories with happy endings, and people typically speak about suffering only after they are on the other side of it. This book does not do that. Instead, it tells the story from within the midst of suffering, drawing on Scripture to show what it means to pursue long-suffering faith.

I especially appreciated the section on Job and the way the author names what he calls the “emotional prosperity gospel” that is so often offered to those who suffer. This book rejects that entirely in favor of the true gospel, the only thing that brings real hope in dark places.

One quote I loved was: “Yes, God steadies us in the storm. But no, his steadiness does not set everything aright. It’s not that time yet.” This book points to the hope of the day when God will make all things new. I pray you read it from the valley and that it encourages you to lift your eyes to where our help comes from.