Book Review: Plan B by Pete Wilson

“What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would?”  Pete Wilson, pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, asks this compelling question in his book Plan B. Pete Wilson is a pastor who struggles with the unanswerable questions just like we do. The book is filled with encouragement and advice for those times in your life when things have gone crazy. Our Plan B begins the moment we experience loss of love or a loved one, shattered dreams. disappointments, and times when life just plain doesn’t go the way we think it should. The book is filled with incredible stories of pain and loss that are almost breathtaking in their level of devastation.

What you won’t find in this book are slick, easy answers. If you are waiting for platitudes or pat answers, they aren’t here.  What you will find is hope and grace. You will find compassion and the cross. The last section of the book is filled with discussion questions for your own use or use with a study group. The book website located at http://www.PlanBBook.com, contains a sample chapter, more stories and some resource materials.

Most of us have either been through a paralyzing, life-altering event or we know someone who has. I am squarely in the target market for this book, as I’m currently walking through my own Plan B situation and, honestly, I had trouble getting through the book at first. Filled with stories of disaster, death and disappointment, both contemporary and biblical, the book is not an easy read, although the language and feel of the book are contemporary and light. I joked while reading that it should have come bundled with tissues. If you are going through one of those devastating times or just have a tender heart, some of the stories are hard to take. I started reading the book while riding in the car, but quickly figured out I needed to be at home with my box of tissues instead, lest I arrive everywhere with red eyes and nose.

That said, I’m glad I read the book. It helped to be reminded that God is there and He is not surprised by anything in our lives. His grace and love and care is still in place even when we are barely functioning. After all, it’s only Plan B to us, not to Him.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”