FINDING JOY

A woman’s account of her spiritual journey from unquestioning compliance with learned Christian practices and beliefs, to discovery of a more personal relationship with God.

What began as uneasiness about life became a full blown crisis of faith for Wooderson once she acknowledged that the religion she had been taught did not meet her needs. The daughter and granddaughter of men devoted to Pentecostal ministry, the author had absorbed their teachings and expectations. Their standards were unyielding–self-denial, scripture study, prayer and faith healing could take care of any problem. However, strict adherence to their rules did not yield either the happiness in life or the satisfying relationship with God for which Wooderson longed. For years, she tried first one tack and then another before successfully discovering a more meaningful faith. In Finding Joy, she weaves the retelling of biblical stories with accounts of events in her own life to illustrate how she found relevance in the age-old words. She was also inspired and supported by friends. Wooderson’s approach is not unique or revolutionary but it is systematic, and she provides thought-provoking questions to help others through the process. However, the author’s journey took so long and was so fraught with setbacks that it may discourage readers from even getting started. Her story, too, takes a long time to tell. She draws it out into a quasi-mystery and, though it is well written, the book could have reached its conclusion sooner. Wooderson’s hope in writing down her account is that those who take their Christian faith for granted will relate to her experience and reevaluate their relationship with God. Readers who question their Christian upbringings and want to pursue a similar quest may gain new insights and reassurance from Finding Joy.

A readable story of one woman’s reevaluation of faith and finding peace with God.