Hope Lies Ahead: Encouragement for Parents of Prodigals from a Family That's Been There, (Paperback)

This has been a very emotional book to read. I appreciate how transparent the authors' have been in sharing their story. Most of us are familiar with the story of the prodigal son. The story hit home for me in several ways as the authors' began to share their journey. Growing up in a house where my dad was a preacher we were always judged by others in the church. We seemed to be held more accountable than others and were always watched by members of the church. My father was all about appearances and any secrets going on in our family were never revealed. I pray that this book will touch many lives and set them free. I loved how this family was open and received great counsel from their church. They had prayer warriors surrounding them which helped them during their difficult journey with their son. Geoff began to spiral out as he found himself deeper into drugs. He addiction was so severe that at times his parents were at a loss of what to do. The pain that Geoff went through was so heartbreaking and I could feel his hopelessness. It is easier for people to have sympathy when someone has cancer or other recognized medical condition. When someone deals with addiction, they shun them and toss them aside. The rollercoaster ride the family went through was difficult and eye opening at the same time. Geoff wanted to be accepted but felt the only way he could accomplish that was to get high and hang around people like himself. As parents we want to protect our children, but sometimes we have to give it to God. It was nice to read how God was changing not only Geoff but his parents as well. In a crisis we need to stand together as a family. As the addiction became worse, so did the communication between husband and wife. At sone point I'm sure they wanted to give up, but instead they dug in deeper and surrendered everything to God. A situation may look hopeless, but God is in the hope business. He wants to strengthen our faith, hope and endurance. The book is one I think everyone should read. It shares the struggles of an addict and his road back to God and his family. It is an honest look at how devastating addiction can be and the consequences it has on not only the addict but the family as well. Forgiveness and grace is the key to helping those who feel rejected and a failure. Geoff needed his family to not give up on him. What he realized was that he was not alone in his journey. God was guiding him and watching over him. His parents in their darkest moments knew they had to forgive their son and welcome him home with unconditional love. I encourage readers to share this book with others and ask a God how you can help those who feel lost and about to give up. Addiction is an illness and without help it can destroy lives. I want to thank the authors' for sharing their story and allowing God to use their story to impact others. Through our test comes our testimony. “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us,” Luke