First time author, Dr. Gavin W. Hooks, has brought us a poignant message on hope. Can one book really teach us about pain and healing? I believe so. This is one of those books that can change the world around us, beginning with our own heart. I am honored to do a review on, "The Message Of Pain". I attend church with Gavin and his wonderful family. He is not only a friend, but my brother in Christ. I have been blessed beyond words to see this book come to life through his willingness to be a vessel for the Lord. We reach others through our own experiences and Gavin shares his life with us in these very pages.
To be honest. For me, this book begins a little slowly. But it must. It is when we hurry through that we miss so much. Gavin brings us a book in rich format that helps us have a better understanding of pain. It is through that understanding that we can find healing. As you read each chapter you begin to understand why pain was part of God's design. This book only got better as I read. I found much of myself in these pages as I too have searched for answers.
Have you found yourself in pain? Have you questioned God? I mean just down right screamed out to Him the words, "Why"? We find ourselves in pain. We see others around us in pain. Our world is in pain. From the street we live on, to the very people across the lands, we see pain. Desperation on faces as we search for why.
We can find a whisper of hope in,"The Message Of Pain." Gavin has written a remarkable truth into understanding pain. We see it. We feel it. Sometimes we are the ones hurting. We see our family falling apart. Friendships are in destruction and our nation is crying out. Sometimes it is in others that we see a deep pain that seems to control every breath. We search for healing. We want answers. But first, we must go back in time. Back to Adam and Eve. The garden, where they decided to make a choice. One choice that would effect them for the rest of their lives. Our lives. We must look at those very choices we make and understand why we are making them. We have a sin nature. That is where is it all begins. Praise God, that isn't where it must end. We can find healing. We can find forgiveness. We can find hope. It is when we surrender to Christ that He washes us in His grace.
Gavin takes us on a journey through his own life's painful remembrance of his parent's divorce and the choices he made. When we hurt we seem to hurt others. He brings stories of others who have touched his life. He shows us the circle of pain. Dr. Hooks gives us the knowledge of pain and the wisdom of how to find our way out. We travel to Israel. We visit David and Naaman. Gavin brings us God's Word and resources that diagnose pain and teach us not only to overcome, but to live a life of freedom in Christ Jesus, leaving our pain behind and looking to Christ for complete healing.
Friends, I encourage you to check out this new book. It is not only brilliant, but it is heartfelt. That is what makes it real and believable for me.
This book was a gift from Dr. Gavin Hooks for it's review. This book is published by WestBow and you can find it by just clicking on this link I have provided.
Dr. Gavin Hooks:
The truth is everyone has their own experience with pain. I have had mine. This experience and a refusal to move past it without a deeper understanding of it has led to this writing. My medical background aided in this understanding. I have been a veterinarian for 11 years now and continue to be amazed at lessons I learn from my patients and clients. My home is just west of St. Louis, Missouri where I was raised. After high school I left for college and finished my bachelor's degree in 1987. I spent 8 years working as a sales representative for an internationally known microscope company. After being fired from this job I returned to college to realize my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I finished my doctorate of veterinary medicine in 1999 from the University of Missouri- Columbia. I purchased my own clinic in 2001 and have been at my current employment for 10 years. Photography, reading, writing, and hiking are the things I love most to do. I have three children and a lovely wife. We have been together for twenty-five years and counting.
