If Only

David Layen writes his review of ‘If Only’ by Jennie Pollock:

They say that hope deferred makes the heart sick. In her book ‘If Only’ Jennie Pollock addresses all of us that struggle with hopes and dreams for the future that have no immediate prospect of being realised: What do we do when the life we long for isn’t the life we have? How do we cope with the desire ‘if only things were different’? It is a desire that comes up in so many different areas of life. 

Jennie leads us to consider godly contentment in the face of ‘if only’ by exploring three key questions:

Is God good?

Is God enough?

Is God worth it?

As she explores these questions, each chapter is full of biblical truths which answer a resounding ‘yes’! She is realistic that it is not easy or quick to reach a point of contentment and that we can need help to refocus on God and his truths each day.

The book is empty of neat and trite answers to painful questions – but full of stories of others who have wrestled with disappointment, doubt, and this feeling of ‘if only’ (including her own). Within these stories, there is a helpful balance between those who have seen God blessing them with a change in their circumstances and those who have been blessed with rich contentment in the face of no change.

I’d love to commend If Only as a brilliantly helpful book for all who have experienced life’s disappointments and for all who are walking alongside them. It shows us that the secret to finding contentment is in Jesus, and a daily lifelong practice of fixing our eyes on him is the antidote to our feelings of lack.

I hope some of you find it as useful as I have.

Dave