Grief can be an unexpected, unwelcome, and lasting feeling that can bring with it a whole bunch of emotions that we really don’t want to feel or experience. But it is something that we all experience in life. It may be the loss of a loved one, someone who we were close to; it can also be the loss of a job or a home. Sometimes we grieve for things from the past, or we grieve for what we don’t have. Sometimes grief can lie dormant for many years only to  then decide it wants to bubble up to the surface.

What Cannot Be Lost by Melissa Zaldivar, is an open, honest book, filled with beautiful testimony, but also the rawness and sadness that grief brings into the lives of many. She weaves together how God can meet us, even in our brokenness, and how He gently brings us back to Him whilst never leaving our side, and bringing beauty from ashes.

Having experienced grief myself over the years and again, very recently, this very timely book helped me to work through my own grief. Melissa shares the honest and raw emotions that grief causes us to feel, whilst sharing her own story and her journey of working through it, encountering the love of Christ along the way. Melissa also shares how God can use unexpected opportunities and people to bring comfort and healing in times of grief (so very often when all we want to do is to hide away), and how the love of God shines through. 

Reading this book helped me to release some of the grief that I was holding on to, it helped to bring me comfort, and at times throughout I felt as though I was sitting with a friend. And at times the words felt like a huge hug. It brought a welcome constant reminder that God is with us always, in all that we go through in life. 

Not only does Melissa share her own story within this book, but she also shares the story of Louisa May Alcott. You may know Louisa as the author of Little Women. Throughout this book, Melissa shares Louisa’s story of grief which she wrote about in Little Women, and how working at Orchard House, now a museum, where Louisa and her family lived, has helped Melissa on her own journey. It binds together both authors’ stories, weaving in and out as they both process the rawness of grief and loss of a dear loved one, their stories from both past and present, coming together. 

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Melissa also weaves throughout her story, the Word of God and His truth along with stories from those who are mentioned in the Bible. She shows us that even when everything feels like it’s tumbling down around us, Jesus holds us together. Though we may not always know the reason why things happen throughout our lives and in other people’s lives, we can have the confidence and understanding of God’s Word, which never changes.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8.

If you are currently grieving the loss of a loved one, or have experienced loss and grief of any form, throughout your life, this book is a beautiful and comforting reminder of God’s love for us, His promises, knowing that we are not alone. 

What Cannot Be Lost is available to purchase here.  

You can also find some wonderful free downloads over on The Good Book Company, to accompany the book. Included is a discussion and study guide, which can be used alone, together with family and friends, or in small groups. You can also find downloadable Bible verse cards to print out and keep, and quote graphics for Twitter.

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I was very kindly sent a copy of this book from the publisher, for an honest review.
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