I’ve had this book read and sitting on my desk, reminding me to write a review for it for a couple of days now. I’ve been chewing it over, thinking about it – it’s a fantastic book, first off. Mr. Janaro writes his testimony of suffering (Lyme Disease + depression + obsessive compulsive disorder) in the light of God’s Mercy. I can relate to him on the depression front – I’ve been off and on medications for it and I think of depression as something that will always follow me around.
The book has short chapters, and the voice of Mr. Janaro changes throughout the book. Some chapters are full of short sentences with not much elaborating, others are fully elaborated and explained. Meditations and prayers are interspersed throughout the book. He writes about Lyme Disease, his depression, the OCD – how it affects his life from his job to his family. It’s hard for me to imagine Lyme Disease, but I think I have a pretty good understanding of it thanks to Mr. Janaro’s reflections.
The book is not a pity party by any means. It’s a beautiful song of praise to God for His Mercy – sharing in His Suffering, understanding His Mother, and of course; the beauty of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. I love how Mr. Janaro writes about why he keeps going instead of despairing and the truth of faith, hope, and love for the Christian means that there is something more … something beyond physical pain and mental torments. It’s so easy to forget that, especially in the midst of deep or extended suffering, and Mr. Janaro’s book is a great reminder to keep our eyes on God, even in the middle of suffering.
The brevity of the book doesn’t mean that it’s an easy read. It is, in the sense that it’s not a giant exegesis of Suffering and Mercy; but it isn’t in the sense that there is so much contained in this book to be digested, thought upon, reflected on, meditated with – I know I’ll be re-reading it when Little One is born and I’m caught in the throws of post-partum recovery, lack of sleep, and making sure Elise has one on one time with me. I want to loan this book to my mom when she’s recovering from her brain surgery (Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson’s, if anyone’s curious), because I know she has had her own set of suffering, beyond anything I can comprehend. I want to loan this book out to a lot of people, really.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Never Give Up – My Life and God’s Mercy . I was provided with a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.
