Chronic pain can fill those who experience it with frustration, self-pity, and even feelings of uselessness. To-do lists often remain minimally accomplished at best or entirely undone as excruciating pain confines sufferers to beds or wheelchairs. Yet joy exists even amid discomfort, waiting to be found. The Bible is full of examples of God's touch of physical healing, such as the story of the beggar who could not walk whom the Apostle Peter healed and from whom he refused to accept payment in exchange. Instead, Peter simply watched him walk and leap on his newly healthy legs and praise God. Even those who have not undergone spontaneous physical healing should not despair. Inward joy amid hardship is a daily matter of choice. And sometimes, when one sufferer listens to the troubles of another, even when bedridden, they accomplish something that God values highly—compassion.
Twenty-seven years ago, doctors diagnosed the author with chronic regional pain syndrome. Grosz, a former massage therapist, could then identify with the pain that many of her clients had felt for various reasons. She has chosen to draw lessons from her struggle and share them in this brief Christian devotional. She encourages readers to accept pain's adversity while maintaining a complete trust in Jesus to provide sufficient strength to get through each day. She is a proponent of listing things for which one is grateful, whether mentally or in writing. She helpfully includes a ten-page "Reflections" section at the book's end to compile such a list or answer the reflection question that concludes each chapter. Sufferers of chronic pain might benefit the most from this book. The author's work might also be a good accompaniment to a Bible study of the Psalms since many of the scripture quotations come from this biblical book.