Welcome back, struggling well listeners. you're hearing the voice of producer Tim Briggs here today. Yes, thank you. I am beginning this episode because last time, if you listened to the last episode, there was a cliffhanger about a big announcement that was to be made and is my privilege to announce that here today and then pass it off to our co-hosts to talk more about this. But the big announcement is that there's a book coming out by Jimmy Kallam Jr. called Struggling Well with Life: An Honest Look at living out your faith. And I know there's a story behind this book and I want to hear it today and I think you do too. And so I want to pass it now over to Jimmy and Suzi to talk more about this book, where it came from and how you can learn more about it.
Well, thank you, Tim. yeah, it is coming out. It's hard to believe. And, the genesis of the book really goes back years.
12 or more.
yeah, probably. because it originally came from a sermon series that I delivered at Church at Charlotte on the book of Job and the whole idea of what it means to struggle well with life. and it's been sitting around in my brain. It's been sitting around on my computer. and through the encouragement of my wife and others, it finally has come into completion. And so later this month, on Amazon, you should be able to find it. And we're excited about it.
We are excited about it. I'm reminded of where Jimmy started it. It was on one of our sbaticals. I think we were in Maine. Were we in Maine?
And I can recall you sitting at the table starting to write things out. And little did we know, but we weren't even gone a week when we got a phone call from one of the elders at church because things had blown up big time. Which isn't that how it is where you're on vacation and you find out your, you know, your dog died, your house is on fire. I mean, crazy stuff. And I can remember sitting at that kitchen table with Jimmy and just thinking, what in the world? And that was kind of the genesis of the idea for the book because things were really hard at that point. he had taken a sbatical, which was a wonderful policy that our church had. I think you were there maybe you had to be there five or seven years before you got one. But I can remember you sitting at the table getting that phone call and trying to put together your thoughts and the actual real time struggle that was happening. Do you remember that?
Yeah, I do remember that. And you know, so as I hope in all things in life, there is a biblical basis for it all. Right.
And I think that the thought that we don't always embrace here in the United States is that the Christian life has its struggles. It has its difficulties. It's not a walk in the park on a beautiful sunny day. but it has its struggles. And so my mind went to the one who in scripture, there's many, but the one who for me exemplifies that more than anybody is this man Job. and Job is we know the first two chapters of the story cuz that's that tells us all that went on in his life. And we know maybe the last chapter when God restores everything to Job. But it's the in between to me that has fascinated ated me for years. because in that journey, we don't know how long that journey was. We know his friends came and sat Shiva with him for 7 days and then they began to speak. when they began to speak and Job responded to them, we don't know the duration of that time. But I do know this, what makes Job an example of somebody who struggled well is he never stops pursuing God. He never stops wanting to find the answers to his questions, which by the way, God never really does answer his questions, but he does come to that point towards the end of the book where he meets God face to face. But I think that's the definition to me in its simplest form of what it means to struggle well is I will never turn my face away from God. in the middle of the book of Job in the 28th chapter, Job is talking about wisdom and where wisdom comes from. And the conclusion verse of that chapter says, "And he meaning God said to man, behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom. and to turn away from evil is understanding. And so Job gets to that place where he realizes in his pursuit and search of God and his desire to have a face to face with God that it is the fear of the Lord that respect for who he is. That's the beginning of wisdom. And that of course that thought is repeated elsewhere in scripture too. But that's what drew me to Job and that's what drew me to really writing the book.
That thing about Job never giving up on God. is pretty amazing because I think of my own life and watching those that I love as well going through difficult times is there's a part of you that gets so weary of the bad news of the circumstances being upside down that it's it kind of feels like this stream this with heavy strong current or the ocean whatever body of water excuse me that has a current in it and the current is really strong and Job could have easily joined in with his friends and cursed God like his wife said as well and just gone downstream and let it take him away because there's at least there's some offer of it's not true but there seems to be this offer of if I just let go and if I figure out what God is up to in my own little brain I don't know if that makes any sense but just kind of let go and let go of God there'll be some kind of a peace or relief at the end.
Yeah. And I would add to that, Suzi. Not only did Job not understand why this had all happened, there was no finish line in sight. Job got hit one after another cuz the first two chapters talk about the fact that while one servant was talking, another one came in to deliver more bad news. And while he was talking, another one came in to deliver while there more bad news. So, it's wave after wave immediately. And then there's no finish line in sight. If you and I had a problem and there was a solution and we could see a finish line, well, we could endure lots of things if we knew the finish line. But when you don't know the finish line, it's hard to persevere. And that's what makes for you and me the same as it was for Job. the sense that I don't ever want to turn my back on God.
Yeah. can I give a today example, a present example of that has really impacted It's impacted you and me and I hope that I can't change his name because I only have one of these. But I have a brother who right now is going through stage 4 esophageal cancer. the cancer in his esophagus, I think the tumor is gone through radiation and chemo, but it has shown up in other parts of his body. And my brother is an unusual guy. He is not just the hat the glass half full. He's like it's overflowing. And I tend to go the other way. There's not a drop in the glass. That's what I end up saying. But my brother is an unusual man. And as he has gone through this, it's been a couple of years now, at least a year if not more. there has been one consistent thread in his life. And it's the same that you see with Job. When Job says, "Though he slay me, still I will trust in him." That's what I've been hearing in real time from somebody that I know who is going through excruciating difficult difficulty, pain, weight loss, fatigue, you name it. Unknown future. you know, the doctors, I don't know if they've said anything about the length or breadth of his life, but it's unknown. And yet, every time we talk, and we talk fairly often, every time we talk, he speaks about what God has shown him about himself, about God. And then he speaks of the opportunities that he's had then to share who God is with other people, nurses, doctors, the guy who came and picked up his car, you name it. and so as I've been watching this, you know, you read Job and you can distance yourself from that because it's in the Bible. It's a story. But when I'm talking on the phone with my brother and Jimmy as well, talking with my brother, it's real time. This is somebody who's going through this, who has shown in his life the sufficiency of God's grace. It really is true. It's not a thing that we're gonna, you know, pass around and banter around because it sounds like a sweet Christian statement. It's true.
Yeah, it is. And it's an incredible testimony to your brother and in how he has I again like Job when Job comes to the end of the book comes to the end, he Job says this, I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. And I think that's a great picture of your brother has seen God in ways that I'm jealous of.
I'm not happy about the diagnosis that he's in the midst of, but I am jealous of how he has turned into and relies upon the God that he sees. Not just hears about, but he sees. And so if you've never read the book of Job, I encourage you to pick it up. It's 42 chapters. You'll know the whole story of Job in the first two chapters. You'll see the conclusion in the 42nd chapter, but it's what's in between that is remarkable as this man journeys with honesty.
And if you would like, go to Amazon, I think after April 12th, and pick up Jimmy's book, Struggling Will with Life, an honest look at the read upside down, living out our faith.
the cover is outstanding. a friend designed the cover and I think the inside of that book is well worth the read and hopefully it will encourage you. So, thanks for tuning in.
Have a great week.