This Beautiful Truth: How God's Goodness Breaks Into Our Darkness
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- Create Date：2021-06-08 02:19:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Sarah Clarkson
- ISBN：1540900517
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Summary
We live in a broken world。 Amid the daily realities of sickness and isolation， disappointment and pain， it can be profoundly difficult to grasp the real goodness of God。 But this is where God breaks into our darkness with beauty。 In the wonder of creation， in art or film， story or song， in the kindness of his people and the good they create， God breaks into our pain in a tangible way， teaching us to trust his kindness and hope for his healing。 Beauty is a voice singing into our suffering， beckoning us toward restoration。
In This Beautiful Truth， Sarah Clarkson shares her own encounters with beauty in the midst of her decade-long struggle with mental illness， depression， and doubt。 In a voice both vulnerable and reflective， she paints a compelling picture of the God who reaches out to us in a real and powerful way through the "taste and see" goodness of what he has made and what he continues to create amid our darkness。 "To recognize and trust God's gift in pain，" she writes， "empowers us to create and love as powerful witnesses to God's healing love in a hopeless world。"
If you want to renew your capacity to recognize and encounter God's beauty in your life， this hope-filled book will show you the way。
In This Beautiful Truth， Sarah Clarkson shares her own encounters with beauty in the midst of her decade-long struggle with mental illness， depression， and doubt。 In a voice both vulnerable and reflective， she paints a compelling picture of the God who reaches out to us in a real and powerful way through the "taste and see" goodness of what he has made and what he continues to create amid our darkness。 "To recognize and trust God's gift in pain，" she writes， "empowers us to create and love as powerful witnesses to God's healing love in a hopeless world。"
If you want to renew your capacity to recognize and encounter God's beauty in your life， this hope-filled book will show you the way。
Reviews
Monica Wilson
，
A touching， vulnerable Christian memoir that helps readers find the beauty that God places all around us， even in the midst of dark， difficult times。 Sarah Clarkson is honest about the struggles she has gone through with OCD from her teen years and on， yet expresses how even in those dark days， she found true beauty and light and love through her relationship with the Creator God。 A beautifully written personal book that will touch the hearts of many who are struggling not only with OCD， but als A touching， vulnerable Christian memoir that helps readers find the beauty that God places all around us， even in the midst of dark， difficult times。 Sarah Clarkson is honest about the struggles she has gone through with OCD from her teen years and on， yet expresses how even in those dark days， she found true beauty and light and love through her relationship with the Creator God。 A beautifully written personal book that will touch the hearts of many who are struggling not only with OCD， but also with other difficult life issues， including this past pandemic year， with hope for the future。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Liz Wine
，
DNF。 Thank you Netgalley for this ARC。As a mental health provider I was curious to read this as I always like to have resources to point clients toward。I could not get into this book for several reasons。 The author’s overuse of the term “mental illness” which is not person-first and is derived from the medical model， and is not strengths-based。 There are many alternatives to this term such as mental health experiences， person experiencing OCD。 On page 20， I found her use of the word “cripple” to DNF。 Thank you Netgalley for this ARC。As a mental health provider I was curious to read this as I always like to have resources to point clients toward。I could not get into this book for several reasons。 The author’s overuse of the term “mental illness” which is not person-first and is derived from the medical model， and is not strengths-based。 There are many alternatives to this term such as mental health experiences， person experiencing OCD。 On page 20， I found her use of the word “cripple” to not be a great choice of words as well。 。。。more
Candice
，
I once heard the podcaster Anne Bogel say that a memoir written just because something interesting happened to a person isn't enough for her。 Authors compose the best memoirs after they have had time to ruminate on their lives and extract meaning from them。 As Kierkegaard said， "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards。" In This Beautiful Truth， Sarah Clarkson shares her hard-won understanding of suffering and intersecting breakthroughs of God's beauty during her year I once heard the podcaster Anne Bogel say that a memoir written just because something interesting happened to a person isn't enough for her。 Authors compose the best memoirs after they have had time to ruminate on their lives and extract meaning from them。 As Kierkegaard said， "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards。" In This Beautiful Truth， Sarah Clarkson shares her hard-won understanding of suffering and intersecting breakthroughs of God's beauty during her years walking with a rare form of OCD that onset when she was 17。 With delicate intimacy， Sarah intersperses an account of her seasons of despair and moments of joy with a defense of God's specific and personal goodness in the face of obvious evil。 I definitely plan to reread this book and share it with a number of friends who struggle with mental illness。 I received an advance copy of this book from Baker Books for review。 。。。more
Sarah D
，
I adore Sarah's writing and I couldn't wait to read this - I knew I would love it， but I didn't expect her own story to resonate with me as much as it did。 This book was slightly more of a memoir than I was anticipating， but in the light of the way beauty shapes our experiences， one must tell one's own story and this was so beautifully written。 Every part of me resonates with the feeling that there must be more than cold theological "answers" in our complex， broken， yet beautiful world。 Sarah fi I adore Sarah's writing and I couldn't wait to read this - I knew I would love it， but I didn't expect her own story to resonate with me as much as it did。 This book was slightly more of a memoir than I was anticipating， but in the light of the way beauty shapes our experiences， one must tell one's own story and this was so beautifully written。 Every part of me resonates with the feeling that there must be more than cold theological "answers" in our complex， broken， yet beautiful world。 Sarah fills that gap so beautifully， without negating the realities of pain and grief - which she can do， because she's been there herself。 But she doesn't stop with simply explaining the theology and her own experiences - she goes on to explore how we can live out this belief that changes everything， and what that might look like。 The book finishes with a call to faithfulness， which inspires me to live more purposefully in the simple everyday details。 This is a book I plan to return to both to read and dip in for encouragement again and again。 。。。more
Alyssa
，
I had to force myself to slow down and not devour this gorgeous and rich story。 Sarah Clarkson has become a source of great inspiration for me the last couple of years。 I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of her other books， but this one was different。 It lives up to its title because it is truly beautiful—and without being overly flowery or wordy。 This book points us to God’s goodness and beauty in our darkness and struggles。 She accomplished that by sharing her difficult story and excerpts from won I had to force myself to slow down and not devour this gorgeous and rich story。 Sarah Clarkson has become a source of great inspiration for me the last couple of years。 I’ve read and enjoyed a couple of her other books， but this one was different。 It lives up to its title because it is truly beautiful—and without being overly flowery or wordy。 This book points us to God’s goodness and beauty in our darkness and struggles。 She accomplished that by sharing her difficult story and excerpts from wonderful books and poetry。 I had an advanced reader’s copy but I’ll be pre-ordering it because it’s worth every penny。 。。。more
Sarah
，
I wanted to love this book。 The description caught my eye immediately and I related to so much of Sarah's journey through anxiety。 Unfortunately， I can't confidently recommend this book because of some profound theological disagreements that I fear could be very harmful to readers lacking in discernment。 The first big red flag for me was when the author tells a story about some lectures she heard on the topic of hell。 "But the professor began with hell， and before long， I thought perhaps I was i I wanted to love this book。 The description caught my eye immediately and I related to so much of Sarah's journey through anxiety。 Unfortunately， I can't confidently recommend this book because of some profound theological disagreements that I fear could be very harmful to readers lacking in discernment。 The first big red flag for me was when the author tells a story about some lectures she heard on the topic of hell。 "But the professor began with hell， and before long， I thought perhaps I was in it。 We sped through as many historical interpretations as we could in a morning。 Hell as conscious torment for eternity。 Hell as annihilation （by rejecting God we ultimately reject existence）。 Choice after death。 Universal salvation。 He worked ruthlessly through each version， beginning with those that seemed “kinder” or “soft，” but each of these he deemed inadequate， even annihilation itself， because they did not satisfy God’s justice。" I believe it is very clear in the Bible that hell is a literal， eternal place。 And I， along with every person， deserve to go there。 Who are we， wretched sinners， to decide that this is unjust or cruel？ The discomfort that we feel about this topic is a gift。 We can find peace with God through Jesus。 But our feelings are not a reliable guide about these things。 There are actual answers in the Bible， even if there are also difficult things to understand。 God is sovereign in our suffering and we can find comfort in that even if we don't understand fully all that it means。 For a book called， "This Beautiful Truth" I would have expected more about how there actually are real， solid answers-truth- in God's word。 We can actually find hope in God's Word， which brings me to another issue I had- the veneration of icons and elevation of liturgy and personal experience。 These things are clearly important to Sarah and a key part of her journey through her OCD。 This is also where it became plain to me that I come to this topic from a totally different theological framework than Sarah as I am a reformed Christian。 The idea of the beauty of God's story and world speaking to us through our pain is one I can get behind。 However， this beauty and love of God does not diminish His great sovereignty and justice。 These things can coexist and even be a comfort in our darkness- as I know from my own struggles。 In the midst of anxiety， I find no comfort in looking to myself and my experiences， but to the Word of God and the truth I find there。 Though our hearts may swell as we enjoy beautiful things and experiences， God's word is truly sufficient for our life and Godliness。 Unfortunately， I did not find as much of that conveyed in this book as I had hoped。 Sarah is a good writer and I was truly drawn into her story， but I cannot give it a hearty recommend。 。。。more
Tanya
，
Wow！！！！ This book is exactly what the title says - Beautiful truth - Sarah has opened her heart and through her journey I believe that many will experience deep heart healing。 I also believe that the idea many have of God who He is and His presence will be realigned correctly。 This book is a must read and absolutely one of THE BEST BOOKS I have EVER read - let your heart be opened and your eyes see beautiful truth -
Aimee Adams
，
This is an inspiring read。 A personal memoir of a battle with OCD that's vulnerable and grounded in deep thinking about suffering。 This topic should feel dark and heavy but Sarah’s writing is the opposite。 Her beautiful writing is a gorgeous invitation to Christ and I found it captivating。 Highly recommended this book！！ This is an inspiring read。 A personal memoir of a battle with OCD that's vulnerable and grounded in deep thinking about suffering。 This topic should feel dark and heavy but Sarah’s writing is the opposite。 Her beautiful writing is a gorgeous invitation to Christ and I found it captivating。 Highly recommended this book！！ 。。。more
Teresa
，
This book is deserving of all the stars。 It is a memoir and yet at the same time， much more。 Sarah Clarkson brings light to a dark part of her life and shows others how she found and continues to find healing through God's goodness as seen in his beautiful creations。 Her courage in telling her story will help many others。 I have always been fascinated by her ability to write so eloquently about the intersection between literature， the arts and theology。 This book explores these themes as well。 T This book is deserving of all the stars。 It is a memoir and yet at the same time， much more。 Sarah Clarkson brings light to a dark part of her life and shows others how she found and continues to find healing through God's goodness as seen in his beautiful creations。 Her courage in telling her story will help many others。 I have always been fascinated by her ability to write so eloquently about the intersection between literature， the arts and theology。 This book explores these themes as well。 Thank you to NetGalley， Baker Books and Sarah Clarkson for the complimentary ebook。 It was wonderful to get to read this early so that I can tell others about it。 Make sure to get a copy of This Beautiful Truth when it is published on June 8。 。。。more
Emily
，
Sarah Clarkson is someone who I’ve followed for years and whose writing is always worth reading。 She writes beautifully and shares truth in a way that is gentle and inviting， not harsh and dismissive of others。 Her newest book is no different。 This Beautiful Truth is lovely， vulnerable， and necessary in many ways。 Sarah’s writing is gentle as she shares her story with mental illness and of finding God through the small beauties and gifts around her。 She tackles the hard questions that she’s face Sarah Clarkson is someone who I’ve followed for years and whose writing is always worth reading。 She writes beautifully and shares truth in a way that is gentle and inviting， not harsh and dismissive of others。 Her newest book is no different。 This Beautiful Truth is lovely， vulnerable， and necessary in many ways。 Sarah’s writing is gentle as she shares her story with mental illness and of finding God through the small beauties and gifts around her。 She tackles the hard questions that she’s faced and ends with hope for those that are held by Him。 Truly a lovely， thought-provoking book that I am eager to reread。I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Tiffany Hamlin
，
Wow， so beautifully written and thought out！ For anyone who has ever gone through any type of suffering whether it is mental illness or other， you can relate to this book。 Sarah， courageously gives of her story to her readers。 She argues that God’s beauty is everywhere if we just look， we can find it。 This book gives a hope that suffering in not to harm us but to teach us， to grow us in God’s story for our lives。 She incorporates beautiful quotes throughout the book from her favorite authors and Wow， so beautifully written and thought out！ For anyone who has ever gone through any type of suffering whether it is mental illness or other， you can relate to this book。 Sarah， courageously gives of her story to her readers。 She argues that God’s beauty is everywhere if we just look， we can find it。 This book gives a hope that suffering in not to harm us but to teach us， to grow us in God’s story for our lives。 She incorporates beautiful quotes throughout the book from her favorite authors and literature。 I love how each is tied into God’s beauty and truth！ This is a must read book to help you to grow and be challenged in your own journey of life。 It reminds me of the verse: “I have told you these things， so that in me you may have peace。 In this world you will have trouble。 But take heart！ I have overcome the world。””John 16:33 NIVhttps://www。bible。com/111/jhn。16。33。niv 。。。more
Ruth Castle
，
I didn’t know how much I needed to read this book。 Clarkson shows us how God uses beauty all around us—nature， art， literature， and genuine friendship—to break into our seasons of hardship to heal us， show us more of himself， and enable us to be conduits of his love and healing to others。 I was quite taken with the author’s lyrical prose and her courageous vulnerability in describing her own journey through darkness。 Thanks to Baker Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy。
Kim
，
Such a lovely and encouraging book！ In the midst of brokenness and heartbreak， we are encouraged to open our eyes to the beauty and goodness that points our hearts back to God。 I highly recommend this book。
Sarah Wolfe
，
If you're worried this book is shallow， think again。 This pouring out of Sarah's soul-learning is about clinging desperately to God and His truth， beauty， and goodness when everything in you says it's not worth it—even your own mind。She takes us through the honest journey of her unusual form of OCD。 While my own mental illness is anxiety and depression， the fighting of it is all too familiar。 Her tribute to her mother Sally， who "believed for her" when she couldn't， was particularly poignant。Thi If you're worried this book is shallow， think again。 This pouring out of Sarah's soul-learning is about clinging desperately to God and His truth， beauty， and goodness when everything in you says it's not worth it—even your own mind。She takes us through the honest journey of her unusual form of OCD。 While my own mental illness is anxiety and depression， the fighting of it is all too familiar。 Her tribute to her mother Sally， who "believed for her" when she couldn't， was particularly poignant。This book is about seeing what God has given us—in the world， in others， in small gifts and large ones—and how He shows us Himself through these things， even when we don't know how to see it。It's deeply encouraging， wonderfully edifying， definitely a must-read for anyone suffering from mental illness or in a season of being a bruised reed in need of a vision for faith in what is True。{I was provided an ARC by Baker Books。 This title releases on June 8， 2021。} 。。。more
Laura Brown
，
This is a powerful， transformative book。 Sarah writes for you， to acknowledge where you are and step into the fullness of God's beauty。 Her writing is melodic and uplifting， helping raise you from the depths。 While the book calls attention to where you are， it does not leave you there。 She writes to urge you on， and her prose moves you to a higher， deeper faith and understanding。 This is a powerful， transformative book。 Sarah writes for you， to acknowledge where you are and step into the fullness of God's beauty。 Her writing is melodic and uplifting， helping raise you from the depths。 While the book calls attention to where you are， it does not leave you there。 She writes to urge you on， and her prose moves you to a higher， deeper faith and understanding。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
"Here， in the midst of our most profound ordinary， is where heaven invades。" This is just one among many gems of wisdom in this book。 Sarah Clarkson bares her heart and soul to take her readers by the hand and show them the goodness of God， even amidst the most mundane， as well as the most painful circumstances。 Her winsome gentleness and powerful personal testimony spoke sweet encouragement to my heart。 Sarah's skill with words has also helped me put language to what I've known about beauty and "Here， in the midst of our most profound ordinary， is where heaven invades。" This is just one among many gems of wisdom in this book。 Sarah Clarkson bares her heart and soul to take her readers by the hand and show them the goodness of God， even amidst the most mundane， as well as the most painful circumstances。 Her winsome gentleness and powerful personal testimony spoke sweet encouragement to my heart。 Sarah's skill with words has also helped me put language to what I've known about beauty and stories my whole life。 A lovely musical note， a heart-wrenching story， or a mightily beautiful landscape have always had the power to steal my breath and give me what she calls "knowings" -- a bone-deep certainty that good and beauty and purity ultimately overcome evil and ugliness， and that something greater transcends our hurts and fears。 As Andrew Peterson would say， the stories are true。 I've believed it for a long time， and I'm grateful for how Sarah has sought to tell people how and why in this book。 Read it。 It will do your soul good。 Thank you to NetGalley for a free advance digital copy of this book in exchange for a review！ 。。。more
Lee
，
I am so glad I reached out for an advance copy of this book。 Sarah Clarkson lays out a strong， theologically sound， case for God's use of the beauty of every day life to pursue his beloved children on seasons of darkness and trial。 Sarah uses poetic language and doctrine to share her own story of mental health struggles and how God continued to show His ultimate authority， goodness， and love in those struggles， not despite those struggles。 This book spoke to me on a personal level。 Struggles wit I am so glad I reached out for an advance copy of this book。 Sarah Clarkson lays out a strong， theologically sound， case for God's use of the beauty of every day life to pursue his beloved children on seasons of darkness and trial。 Sarah uses poetic language and doctrine to share her own story of mental health struggles and how God continued to show His ultimate authority， goodness， and love in those struggles， not despite those struggles。 This book spoke to me on a personal level。 Struggles with mental illness brought me into seasons of doubting God's love and being exhausted by the evil in the world。 Sarah's perspective is both intellectually challenging and theologically sound。 I strongly recommend this as a read for anyone。 。。。more
Kate Howe
，
This might just be my favorite book of the year。 What a gift this book is！ Sarah shows such vulnerability in this memoir describing her mental health struggles and how this impacted her faith as a young adult。 It was an honor to get to read about the moments where God's beauty and grandeur brought light in a very dark time。 I highlighted so many passages in this and will be meditating on this book for a long time。 Now I must go read some Tolkien。 This might just be my favorite book of the year。 What a gift this book is！ Sarah shows such vulnerability in this memoir describing her mental health struggles and how this impacted her faith as a young adult。 It was an honor to get to read about the moments where God's beauty and grandeur brought light in a very dark time。 I highlighted so many passages in this and will be meditating on this book for a long time。 Now I must go read some Tolkien。 。。。more
Krista Mc
，
I loved everything about this book--I was a little afraid that I wouldn't connect with it when I began reading it， but oh， it went beyond my doubts and exceeded my hopes。 I loved everything about this book--I was a little afraid that I wouldn't connect with it when I began reading it， but oh， it went beyond my doubts and exceeded my hopes。 。。。more
Tracy E
，
I read through this book expectantly， waiting to be taught by Sarah， as well as to learn more of her。 I was not disappointed。 I loved the format of each chapter-- a pulling back of the curtain of Sarah's mind， heart， and life in order to give credibility to her understanding， wisdom， creativity， and depth。 What a joy to read！ I read through this book expectantly， waiting to be taught by Sarah， as well as to learn more of her。 I was not disappointed。 I loved the format of each chapter-- a pulling back of the curtain of Sarah's mind， heart， and life in order to give credibility to her understanding， wisdom， creativity， and depth。 What a joy to read！ 。。。more
Kim
，
I found this book hopeful and encouraging， especially for those battling long-term health struggles， for those who create art of any kind， and for those who love all things literary。 Chapter 9 was my favorite one as she discusses Tolkien and Lewis， two of my favorites。 So many inspiring quotes amidst a plethora of stories （at times the stories became a lot for me but I didn’t go into this book realizing it’s more of a memoir。） I will definitely revisit many parts of this for inspiration as I aim I found this book hopeful and encouraging， especially for those battling long-term health struggles， for those who create art of any kind， and for those who love all things literary。 Chapter 9 was my favorite one as she discusses Tolkien and Lewis， two of my favorites。 So many inspiring quotes amidst a plethora of stories （at times the stories became a lot for me but I didn’t go into this book realizing it’s more of a memoir。） I will definitely revisit many parts of this for inspiration as I aim to “do small things well。” 。。。more
Anna van Slooten
，
Long since I’ve read a book like this， if ever。 The book that reaches down to the depths of your soul and rips open the wounds that were diligently and thoroughly masked; the book that makes you face the questions you tried so hard to ignore or forget or pretend you ever had them in the first place。 Oh how I long to give a justice to this book and the skillfulness of its author。 But I’m afraid that my attempts would be like making a wooden sculpture with a chain saw when trying to describe Miche Long since I’ve read a book like this， if ever。 The book that reaches down to the depths of your soul and rips open the wounds that were diligently and thoroughly masked; the book that makes you face the questions you tried so hard to ignore or forget or pretend you ever had them in the first place。 Oh how I long to give a justice to this book and the skillfulness of its author。 But I’m afraid that my attempts would be like making a wooden sculpture with a chain saw when trying to describe Michelangelo’s David。 In this book Sarah Clarkson bravely invites us to join her honest journey into the depth of her soul， tormented by pain of mental illness， struggle and moments of darkness， to see how the beauty of God can redeem， restore and give hope。 And this is Truth， and this is Beauty that no matter how deep our rabbit hole is， no matter how dark and terrifying it might be， we are not alone - God sends his light one star a moment， one candle a prayer， God sends his Beauty one flower a glance， one song a swirl to break into our darkness and paralyze it with his quintessential goodness ultimately ripping it to pieces in the person of Jesus Christ。 Read the book， and join the battle， “the one waged by the human heart to reimagine God as good when pain and fear have hidden his face”， and “taste and see that the Lord is good”。 。。。more
Elise
，
This is a beautifully written book that centers around a mental health journey and how God's beauty--found in the creation， in homes， and in interactions with fellow image bearers--breaks through。 But it is not a book only for those who have mental health struggles， but for anyone who has ever asked God "why" or walked a hard road and wondered what their faith looks like in the midst of darkness。 So， a book for all of us。 It is a book about the God who is Love， who enters into our darkness， who This is a beautifully written book that centers around a mental health journey and how God's beauty--found in the creation， in homes， and in interactions with fellow image bearers--breaks through。 But it is not a book only for those who have mental health struggles， but for anyone who has ever asked God "why" or walked a hard road and wondered what their faith looks like in the midst of darkness。 So， a book for all of us。 It is a book about the God who is Love， who enters into our darkness， who walks with us in our deepest valleys。 It is about the God who does not leave us in our darkness but pursues us with glimpses of hope--beauty--in his physical world that draw our eyes to his eternal Love。 It is about the God who wants us to wrestle with him， to grapple and hold on until he blesses us with his mark。 A mark that requires and beckons us to create homes where "heaven invades， where eternity slips into time， and the stuff of our normal lives， as we mold and claim it， becomes the very substance of Love。 I read this book as I was just coming out of and identifying what had been a season of postpartum depression。 I ended the book encourage to go further up and further in， to pursue beauty and create beauty to be a beacon of the One who is Beauty， the One who died for all of me， all my sins and all my brokenness。 There is so much more to be said about the book--the things that challenged me， the areas that I disagreed， the moments that gave me a lump in my throat and a hitch in my breath。 It's a book that requires you to engage， but it does so gently and enticingly， leaving you wanting to explore its themes more。 And that is always the sign of a good book。 。。。more
April Dray
，
This beautiful book is for anyone who has ever wrestled with the weighty， important questions of life and faith。 Why does God let evil things happen？ What does it mean when we say "God is in control"？ And what does true faith look like in the midst of struggle， sorrow， and adversity？ Sarah suggests a powerful antidote to evil and sin and struggle that I will likely continue to ponder for the rest of my life: beauty。 She writes: "What beauty reveals is the intimacy of the divine in our grief。 God This beautiful book is for anyone who has ever wrestled with the weighty， important questions of life and faith。 Why does God let evil things happen？ What does it mean when we say "God is in control"？ And what does true faith look like in the midst of struggle， sorrow， and adversity？ Sarah suggests a powerful antidote to evil and sin and struggle that I will likely continue to ponder for the rest of my life: beauty。 She writes: "What beauty reveals is the intimacy of the divine in our grief。 God gives us beauty， not as his argument but as his offering—a gift that immerses us in something that allows us to touch hope， to taste healing， to tangibly encounter something opposite to disintegration and destruction。 Where suffering has made God abstract and distant to us， where brokenness leaves us with unanswerable questions， beauty allows us to taste and see God's presence as he breaks into the circles of our inmost grief to remake the broken world。" The value （and necessity） of wrestling with God is profoundly illustrated in this book。 Sarah takes a close look at the book of Job and discusses some realities of mental illness that I believe many in the church try to explain away or overlook。 You will highlight several passages！ Her wisdom is rich with both personal experience and theological study。 Additionally， this book explores the importance of cultivating beauty in our every day life—and even suggests it might just be the bravest thing we are called to do in this broken world as followers of Christ。 You will leave this book challenged， refreshed， and inspired。 。。。more
Tamar K
，
"This Beautiful Truth" is one of those stories which brings you face-to-face with the hard question of this life， the question Job faced over three thousand years ago and the question we still face today in the midst of disease， war and rioting， isolation， loneliness and depression。 How do we believe God is good in a broken and suffering world？ Sarah Clarkson invites us into her story of living with mental illness and the long journey of coming face-to-face with the beautiful truth of God。 From "This Beautiful Truth" is one of those stories which brings you face-to-face with the hard question of this life， the question Job faced over three thousand years ago and the question we still face today in the midst of disease， war and rioting， isolation， loneliness and depression。 How do we believe God is good in a broken and suffering world？ Sarah Clarkson invites us into her story of living with mental illness and the long journey of coming face-to-face with the beautiful truth of God。 From the waking nightmares in her early childhood through the anxious days of adulthood， Sarah traces the presence of God and the power of beauty to break through the darkness。 Her vulnerability in sharing this often-taboo topic gives hope and a way forward for those who are struggling。 More than that， Sarah wrestles through a biblical theology of who God is in the face of a broken mind with a fierce honesty and relentless commitment to not rest with empty platitudes or superficial hope。 "This Beautiful Truth" challenges me to bring my own wounds and suffering into the light of God’s goodness and to see the beauty that breaks through my darkness。 It is not only the knowledge of a saving God， that Sarah reminds me of， but the intimacy of a knowing God who heals my wounds and cares for the desires of my heart。 This is the good， the true and the beautiful God who reaches into my woundedness with the wonder of his love and journeys with me through the dark nights。 。。。more
Destiny Wright
，
Sarah has written such a wonderful book。 It is honest and vulnerable in her discussion of navigating life with OCD， but also relatable， uplifting， and encouraging as she describes how she has found the goodness of God in the world's dark spaces。 I found myself highlighting passage after passage。 This is a book I can see myself coming back to over and over again。 Sarah has written such a wonderful book。 It is honest and vulnerable in her discussion of navigating life with OCD， but also relatable， uplifting， and encouraging as she describes how she has found the goodness of God in the world's dark spaces。 I found myself highlighting passage after passage。 This is a book I can see myself coming back to over and over again。 。。。more
Grace
，
Reading this book is an absolute pleasure and reminder of the beautiful life around us。 Sarah draws you into her story and you feel every story to the core。 I have laughed and cried as I’ve read the stories that I too have experienced。 Thank you for a book that doesn’t hide the ugly in the world but always returns us to Gods glory。
L。A。 Smith
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What a thoughtful and lovely book， and just what I needed in these pandemic times。 Sarah shares from her heart her experiences with mental illness and how that drove her to seek beauty in the darkness。。。or， to be more precise， how God met her with beauty in the midst of her darkness。 This is a lovely， lyrical book， but it is not just sentimentality。 There is good， robust theology here， pointing us to a God who stoops low to extend a hand to those who are suffering， and how the Incarnation is the What a thoughtful and lovely book， and just what I needed in these pandemic times。 Sarah shares from her heart her experiences with mental illness and how that drove her to seek beauty in the darkness。。。or， to be more precise， how God met her with beauty in the midst of her darkness。 This is a lovely， lyrical book， but it is not just sentimentality。 There is good， robust theology here， pointing us to a God who stoops low to extend a hand to those who are suffering， and how the Incarnation is the ultimate example of this。 But Sarah has a way of giving us these truths without it becoming a dry tome。 On the contrary， she offers us her own hand in the darkness， walking alongside us to point us to the One whose Beauty and Goodness is reflected in all we see。 Highly recommend！ Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book as an ARC as part of the launch team for this book。 。。。more
Susan
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This is a glorious book！ It reveals how the the beauty of God， illustrated by His creation， by art， music and story can transform our suffering and reveal His goodness in a very broken world。 Sarah’s personal journey through the darkness of mental illness into the light of God’s goodness will give hope to all who suffer in any way and who wrestle with God in the midst of that suffering。 I do not have adequate words to describe how this book moved me and suffused me with hope。 It is the book that This is a glorious book！ It reveals how the the beauty of God， illustrated by His creation， by art， music and story can transform our suffering and reveal His goodness in a very broken world。 Sarah’s personal journey through the darkness of mental illness into the light of God’s goodness will give hope to all who suffer in any way and who wrestle with God in the midst of that suffering。 I do not have adequate words to describe how this book moved me and suffused me with hope。 It is the book that I will give to everyone I love this year！ 。。。more
Jessica Telian
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