I Read: Make Room for Joy

 Make Room for Joy by Vanessa Joy Walker

I am no stranger to books that try to explain a better way to deal with the struggles and concerns of life. Anxiety, depression, grief, shame - I've read about all of them. Some of them resonate more than others. This one is a great book for anyone looking for a way to lean into faith for the answers. 

When I began, I wondered if I would find it a bit too "preachy" because it is very much faith-based. But I found myself intrigued by the choice of passages and how they related to things in my own life. Knowing someone else's perspective on particular Bible verses can sometimes open your eyes to new interpretations and meanings.

The book is full of the author's own struggles, giving the reader perspective of how putting your faith in God, or whatever higher power you believe in can ultimately lead you through the toughest times. Walker is candid in her story and shares details as if speaking to friends - which she notes early in the book that we must be in order to have honest conversations. Her enthusiasm for helping her reader shines through the pages - and through her use of exclamation points, that she admits she loves but were probably mostly edited from the book.  

Full disclosure - I was friends with the author of this book way, way, way back in second or third grade. She was, and I assume still is, a lovely person. I remember an infectious smile, and an ability to be friends/friendly with anyone. Her mom was our lunchtime monitor and is one of the people I most remember from that school. With that in mind, I would have read this book whether I felt like I could apply it to myself or not. But everyone struggles sometimes; we all have good and bad seasons in our lives. This book is just a reminder even through the worst of it, you can't let those struggles define you.

#61-2020