The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom

When, on the very first page, I read something I wanted to highlight with a marker, I knew I was engaging on a journey with someone who had profound insights into the human condition. I found myself highlighting something on nearly every page - and then I began to mark with sticky tabs especially meaningful pages so that I could go back again and again for renewal when I needed it. I highly recommend this book for anyone
experiencing pain and fear and questions about life's challenges: you will find peace and refreshment within these pages.

Devotionals are a wonderful tool to focus and encourage us in the Lord. But many of them don't attempt to directly deal with our experience of utter spiritual impoverishment. Nouwen's book is a treasure because his words come from this place of darkness but are intent to move elsewhere. Though raw and desperate, the book is refreshing because someone else is experiencing the same things we do--but he is absolutely resolved to hold onto God with a stronger and stronger grip. Highly recommended! Here is the first entry entitled "Work Around Your Abyss" to give you an understanding of the tone:

"There is a deep hole in your being, like an abyss. You will never succeed in filling that hole, because your needs are inexhaustible. You have to work around it so that gradually the abyss closes.

Since the hole is so enormous and your anguish so deep, you will always be tempted to flee from it. There are two extremes to avoid: being completely absorbed in your pain and being distracted by so many things that you stay far away from the wound you want to heal."

This book helped me stay close to God during a very painful time in my life. May it do the same for you. God bless.

This is a collector's item and a must read for everyone who gives (and want to give) themselves the permission to open, and feel, and bleed "all over the place" (if you have to) - to really live. It invites you to God's place inside you.

I love it.

As a product of a profoundly legalistic upbringing (20 years at a very condemnational fundamentalist Christian university in SC), with tremendous wounds that remained hidden and denied for 45 years, I was given this book by my godly and wise counselors during the most significant crisis of my life. To the legalists who read this review, I just want to offer that there is no other way to freedom in Christ than Truth. It is the Truth that will set you free. And if you find this book offensive, I can assure you, you are not free. Please set aside your preconceived notions about the "acceptable" ways God chooses to heal His children and RUN to get this life-changing, prayer-bathed, wisdom-filled and HEALING book. Although I ADORE The Bible and have experienced firsthand its power to heal, strengthen and bless throughout my lifetime, God personally used THIS book to speak to me at a time when nothing else could speak to my specific pain. (Yes, He does use unexpected people, events and means to get through to His hurting kids ... just read the book of Judges if you don't believe me.)

The five-star rating that I give this book would go on into infinity if it were an option. For all you sufferers out there, if you choose one "secular" book to get you through the valleys and dungeons of life, let it be this one!