Except The Lord Build The House

My pediatrician walked in. My jubilant Hi! brought a beet-red flush to his face-my heart stopped as he groped for the only words I actually heard, …and I’m sorry, but your son expired at eight this morning.

This is a breathtakingly courageous testimony of learning to lean utterly on God. Enduring the most devastating tragedy that a parent can ever experience, Carlsen learns the futility of trying to micromanage the Creator. She learns to listen, learns the nature of true obedience to His will, and her heart and spirit are forged into greater and greater intimacy of trust in the Lord.

Her faith is tested again and again as she surrenders every facet of every nuance of every decision into God’s control. In the midst of her pain, the author gains invaluable insight into the nature of Christian growth, drawing a parallel to the raising up of a baby to maturity. In her clear and direct voice, the concept is staggering in its simplicity:

Imagine if pastors were able to assign mature elders and deacons to patiently nurture and instruct new believers about how to work out their own salvation day by day…The church is not a building we come to; it is a living structure we are part of. We don’t come together to act like Christians as part of an exclusive club.

This book examines intimate subjects that are difficult to read about-no reader will get to the end unaffected-yet at the same time…there’s the most incongruous thread of joy woven through the whole. There is teaching here, and a whole universe of emotion. A journey of hope and deepening faith, Except the Lord Build the House is a deeply moving experience.