Let's Bust a Recap : Hope Remains

Man, where to begin with a book like Hope Remains. Not only is it heartbreaking to read about every family's worst nightmare, the particular family in question happen to be friends of mine, and I'll never forget my heart dropping into my stomach when we got the devastating news that little Sawyer had been hit by a car as he pedaled his bike around outside. 

Hope Remains was written by Reppard and Summer Gordon in the wake of the loss of their five year old son. In this part memoir, part Christian apologetic, the Gordons recount every detail of the worst day of their lives with grace and honesty. 

On August 8, 2016, the youngest child of Reppard and Summer Gordon went home to be with Jesus after being hit by a distracted driver. The driver turned out to be someone Reppard and Summer knew, and not only did Summer immediately embrace the driver just minutes after the accident occurred, the Gordons have continued a warm and loving relationship with him in the years since the accident. He even contributed his perspective for Hope Remains and it is powerful to read the account of God's grace and love through the eyes of Sawyer's father, mother, and the young man who was responsible for his death. I think one of the best aspects of this book is the shifting perspectives between these three grieving people. 

But what I appreciated the very most about Hope Remains was the unflinching honesty. The Gordons didn't gloss over their pain in pointing their readers to Christ. The comfort and peace they've found in our Savior was made all the more real and wonderful when you see the absolute depth of their despair through the pages of this book. With no room for worn out clichés or trite platitudes, Summer takes you right inside the experience of introducing yourself at a new Bible study where all the other women are rattling off the names and ages of their children, while Reppard recounts how sick he felt after meeting a new acquaintance and not including Sawyer in his family lineup during the introduction. 

Another aspect of Hope Remains that I really appreciated was how fully developed it was. There was not a single word thrown away. Everything mentioned was fully fleshed out and at no point in reading this book was I left wondering, "Yeah, but did they just say that for effect?" When Summer mentions at the beginning of the book that their marriage had just come through an extremely rocky patch, she circles back around to it later and details the difficulties they faced. Not in a gossipy, salacious way, but in a there's-nothing-outside-of-God's-redemptive-power way. With authority born out of the most personal and tragic of experiences and an urgency produced from an if-God-can-do-this-for-us-He-can-do-it-for-you perspective, Reppard and Summer encourage every reader to turn to Jesus today.

It's a little intimidating when someone you know and love publishes a book and wants to know what you think of it, but I can say with complete sincerity that Hope Remains is well-written and I whole-heartedly recommend it. I've already given this book as a gift, and that's not something I do flippantly. If you have experienced heartache or if you feel like you're drowning and don't know where to turn, Hope Remains. 

Would you share your deepest pain and living nightmare with the world? Do you know the Hope that the Gordons have? Buy a copy of Hope Remains here.