In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm

Sometimes you grab a book because you want to read something that increases your faith and is filled with encouragement. The Schwenk's book definitely did just that for me! However, I didn't just grab it, it grabbed me back. With every page, I found myself being held closer and closer, drawn deeper and deeper to Christ. This isn't just a book of fluff and inspiration, it's a powerful writing that helps your heart realign with God's sovereignty, surrender and hope. It doesn't just leave you with a "good feeling", it leaves you with a new strength to navigate your own hard seasons.

In this most important book, Pat and Ruth share what they learned about God and truths that carried them through as they learned and walked through Pat's cancer battle. My husband and I have been friends of Pat and Ruth for years and my husband had experienced his own bout with cancer about 19 years ago. What they shared so matched what we had learned as we walked through cancer diagnosis and treatment. One of my favorite truths of the book was this: 'The suffering God allows is the suffering God uses." God wants us to truly know Him and His love for us and we find that no more true than when we face trials. God proves Himself and that what we read of our Heavenly Father in Scripture is true. You will not be disappointed, but you will be changed as you read this most relevant book by Ruth and Pat Schwenk.

Ruth and Pat’s new book, “In A Boat In the Middle of A Lake,” came to me during a particular hard season in my life. Actually a hard season for millions of people because of the Covid 19 pandemic among other life issues affecting our world currently. When situations happen in life outside of our control, we can feel like we’re in a boat out in the middle of nowhere in a storm without a way to get back to shore. We can feel like we’re stranded out there all by ourselves and that this storm will last forever. Ruth and Pat experienced a storm in the form of Pat’s cancer diagnosis and these are just a few of the feelings that they experienced during their hard season. In the book, they share their journey, with all its ups and downs, heartaches and joys and in sharing their story, they give the reader helpful insights and tools to navigate through their own storms. And they point the reader to the ultimate anchor of hope, which is Jesus Christ who helped Pat and Ruth not only survive through their stormy season, but who also is there to help the rest of humanity through their life storms as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with life situations that is outside of their control. Between the pages of this book, they will find comfort, they will definitely find hope, and they will ultimately find themselves back on the shoreline, with a new perspective and a greater faith.

I loved this book so much. I plan on reading it over and over again before passing it on. This book is a must read for everyone because we all experience suffering. If you aren’t in a boat in the middle of the lake right now, then you will most likely be at some point in your life. I’ve suffered with some scary health issues that have left me in a constant state of worry and fear. This book was so encouraging, but it also covered all the difficult aspects of suffering. It was refreshing to hear an open and honest story of the Author’s own feelings and struggles with suffering through a Christian perspective. Instead of feeling guilt and shame at my lack of faith in my suffering, I finished this book with a completely different perspective on suffering and trials. I don’t think this is an exact quote but quite similar: “Sometimes our trials reveal what we believe and what we don’t.” It wasn’t until I was knee deep in my trial, that i was able to see how the Faith I thought I had just crumbled. It was an eye opening, perspective-changing, encouraging gem of a book.

This book is written in a reader friendly manner. If flows nicely from the Schwenk's personal experiences back to their source of strength - scripture - and back again. Each chapter has a few thought provoking questions to help the reader go deeper in the process of finding steadiness and peace in the midst of troubled waters. This book will meet you where you are at in the midst of whatever struggle you are facing. You will be encouraged to know that you are not alone in your fears, feelings and fight. And you will be pointed to the power you so desperately need to withstand the battle. Topics like the "myth of our comfort" and "the blessing of the unblessed life" will stretch your thinking - in a good way. Because we are created for community, I encourage you to get this book and don't go it alone. Share it with others!

The question isn’t whether each of us will face storms, but how we will respond and Who we will look to when we do. In “In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake,” Pat and Ruth Schwenk share the story of Pat’s cancer diagnosis (and other trials they have faced or walked with others through) with realness and vulnerability. Storms in life often leave us feeling confused, scared, alone, and adrift. They know that, and I appreciated how they don’t attempt to rush the reader (or themselves) through the “lamenting,” rather share how acknowledging suffering is a part of the journey and that our hope can be deeper and stronger because of it. Ultimately, their message shines with faith and hope, and points to how God may be using our suffering, and a reminder that this suffering isn’t our final reality.

This book is a must read for anyone facing the storms of life. Pat and Ruth offer a message of hope as they share their journey through Pat’s cancer diagnosis. They are vulnerable and real as they share their story and their writing is so relatable. We all face struggles and storms of life whether is a diagnosis, job loss, a death etc. but with our eyes fixed in Jesus we can continue to have hope.

Read this book. I found out about this book because Crystal Paine @ the Money Saving Mom posted it on her Instagram. I am hardly on social media, but when she posted a couple quotes from this book I knew I needed to read it. Having a child diagnosed with a serious, rare, and chronic immune condition is beyond challenging, especially in the middle of Covid. I didn’t know I how much I needed to read this book! Every single chapter was so incredibly healing to me. Please, please pick up this book if you find yourself in a season of hardship and suffering. Thank you to the authors who share so transparently about their own struggles and yet point to the truth and hope found in God’s Word.

I appreciated this book so much. Even though it is a story of their family's journey through a cancer diagnosis, the lessons they learned are applicable to all life trials. They continually point the reader to Jesus, and I found myself nodding in agreement and affirmation throughout!

As Christians, we know that suffering is a part of life. Jesus does not promise us an easy road. Whether you are currently in the midst of a storm or just coming out of one, this book is a must read. Pat and Ruth beautifully share their "storm" with us and remind us that God is in charge of all of our days (even the dark and scary ones). We are never alone in our storms!

Sometimes you grab a book because you want to read something that increases your faith and is filled with encouragement. The Schwenk's book definitely did just that for me! However, I didn't just grab it, it grabbed me back. With every page, I found myself being held closer and closer, drawn deeper and deeper to Christ. This isn't just a book of fluff and inspiration, it's a powerful writing that helps your heart realign with God's sovereignty, surrender and hope. It doesn't just leave you with a "good feeling", it leaves you with a new strength to navigate your own hard seasons.

In this most important book, Pat and Ruth share what they learned about God and truths that carried them through as they learned and walked through Pat's cancer battle. My husband and I have been friends of Pat and Ruth for years and my husband had experienced his own bout with cancer about 19 years ago. What they shared so matched what we had learned as we walked through cancer diagnosis and treatment. One of my favorite truths of the book was this: 'The suffering God allows is the suffering God uses." God wants us to truly know Him and His love for us and we find that no more true than when we face trials. God proves Himself and that what we read of our Heavenly Father in Scripture is true. You will not be disappointed, but you will be changed as you read this most relevant book by Ruth and Pat Schwenk.

Ruth and Pat’s new book, “In A Boat In the Middle of A Lake,” came to me during a particular hard season in my life. Actually a hard season for millions of people because of the Covid 19 pandemic among other life issues affecting our world currently. When situations happen in life outside of our control, we can feel like we’re in a boat out in the middle of nowhere in a storm without a way to get back to shore. We can feel like we’re stranded out there all by ourselves and that this storm will last forever. Ruth and Pat experienced a storm in the form of Pat’s cancer diagnosis and these are just a few of the feelings that they experienced during their hard season. In the book, they share their journey, with all its ups and downs, heartaches and joys and in sharing their story, they give the reader helpful insights and tools to navigate through their own storms. And they point the reader to the ultimate anchor of hope, which is Jesus Christ who helped Pat and Ruth not only survive through their stormy season, but who also is there to help the rest of humanity through their life storms as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with life situations that is outside of their control. Between the pages of this book, they will find comfort, they will definitely find hope, and they will ultimately find themselves back on the shoreline, with a new perspective and a greater faith.

I loved this book so much. I plan on reading it over and over again before passing it on. This book is a must read for everyone because we all experience suffering. If you aren’t in a boat in the middle of the lake right now, then you will most likely be at some point in your life. I’ve suffered with some scary health issues that have left me in a constant state of worry and fear. This book was so encouraging, but it also covered all the difficult aspects of suffering. It was refreshing to hear an open and honest story of the Author’s own feelings and struggles with suffering through a Christian perspective. Instead of feeling guilt and shame at my lack of faith in my suffering, I finished this book with a completely different perspective on suffering and trials. I don’t think this is an exact quote but quite similar: “Sometimes our trials reveal what we believe and what we don’t.” It wasn’t until I was knee deep in my trial, that i was able to see how the Faith I thought I had just crumbled. It was an eye opening, perspective-changing, encouraging gem of a book.

This book is written in a reader friendly manner. If flows nicely from the Schwenk's personal experiences back to their source of strength - scripture - and back again. Each chapter has a few thought provoking questions to help the reader go deeper in the process of finding steadiness and peace in the midst of troubled waters. This book will meet you where you are at in the midst of whatever struggle you are facing. You will be encouraged to know that you are not alone in your fears, feelings and fight. And you will be pointed to the power you so desperately need to withstand the battle. Topics like the "myth of our comfort" and "the blessing of the unblessed life" will stretch your thinking - in a good way. Because we are created for community, I encourage you to get this book and don't go it alone. Share it with others!

The question isn’t whether each of us will face storms, but how we will respond and Who we will look to when we do. In “In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake,” Pat and Ruth Schwenk share the story of Pat’s cancer diagnosis (and other trials they have faced or walked with others through) with realness and vulnerability. Storms in life often leave us feeling confused, scared, alone, and adrift. They know that, and I appreciated how they don’t attempt to rush the reader (or themselves) through the “lamenting,” rather share how acknowledging suffering is a part of the journey and that our hope can be deeper and stronger because of it. Ultimately, their message shines with faith and hope, and points to how God may be using our suffering, and a reminder that this suffering isn’t our final reality.

This book is a must read for anyone facing the storms of life. Pat and Ruth offer a message of hope as they share their journey through Pat’s cancer diagnosis. They are vulnerable and real as they share their story and their writing is so relatable. We all face struggles and storms of life whether is a diagnosis, job loss, a death etc. but with our eyes fixed in Jesus we can continue to have hope.

Read this book. I found out about this book because Crystal Paine @ the Money Saving Mom posted it on her Instagram. I am hardly on social media, but when she posted a couple quotes from this book I knew I needed to read it. Having a child diagnosed with a serious, rare, and chronic immune condition is beyond challenging, especially in the middle of Covid. I didn’t know I how much I needed to read this book! Every single chapter was so incredibly healing to me. Please, please pick up this book if you find yourself in a season of hardship and suffering. Thank you to the authors who share so transparently about their own struggles and yet point to the truth and hope found in God’s Word.

I appreciated this book so much. Even though it is a story of their family's journey through a cancer diagnosis, the lessons they learned are applicable to all life trials. They continually point the reader to Jesus, and I found myself nodding in agreement and affirmation throughout!

As Christians, we know that suffering is a part of life. Jesus does not promise us an easy road. Whether you are currently in the midst of a storm or just coming out of one, this book is a must read. Pat and Ruth beautifully share their "storm" with us and remind us that God is in charge of all of our days (even the dark and scary ones). We are never alone in our storms!

What a great book! I picked it up for a friend and decided the cover is so cool, I had to read it for myself. So I bought two copies and glad I did. Gives such a good perspective on suffering as a tool for refinement and leaves the reader feeling hopeful. Highly recommend - especially, during a pandemic

For someone struggling with my faith after repeated child loss, this book is outstanding. It has helped me learn to trust again and find my faith. Highly, highly recommend if you’re struggling and need reassurance.

What an amazing read!! In this life we will have storms. It is so helpful to have people like Patrick & Ruth who share their journey with us. This book is full of hope & points to the One who is always with us in the storms of this life. I am thankful they shared their story with us!!

This book was a such a great testament of faith. The ability to use your own story in the most vulnerable moments of your life to help others with their faith journey is such a gift. Thank you for sharing your story!

This book is amazing!! I highly recommend reading this. No matter what season of life you are there will be storms to endure. This book reminds us that God is with always. Great job to the authors.

This is a wonderful book filled with God’s promises. It is very well written. I recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with anxiety. It helped me get through some dark days. God bless you.

Not done yet but so far it's great

17 year old daughter really liked this book

Inspiring book whether you’re in the depths of grief yourself or trying to better understand the feelings of someone you love.

This is an excellent book! What a beautiful reminder that God meets us in the “middle” places in our lives.

“In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake” is a raw, honest and real book about struggles we face in life. The Schwenk’s open up about dealing with a cancer diagnosis and show us how to deal with the hard things that come our way. They talk about how God is our refuge and strength and we can look to Him when it feels like the storms that are coming our way will overtake us. God can provide the calm within the storm. He probably won’t take away the storm or remove us from it – but he will help us through it. Even though there is chaos all around us, He can provide peace in the midst of the storm. I highly recommend this book to others who are facing a storm in their life. It may not be as big as a cancer diagnosis, but any storm that looks to separate us from God, is one that we need to battle. This book helps us to keep our focus on God, not the wind and the waves. He will be right beside us to help us stay calm. I was given an advanced reading copy of “In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake” by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk for an honest opinion of the book.

Frequently, books in this genre take an optimistic tone, trying to minimize the pain and go for a self-help solution. Here the authors go for something more honest, admitting that the Bible's answers to suffering are more complex than just self-actualization. By noting that God often uses suffering as a route to highlight issues that need to be resolved, they help readers see a route forward that allows for seeing the unexpected blessings in the midst of pain.

This book is a heart wrenching story of the trial they’ve been going through... but it is not just about them. The words in this book are for you and me. All of us who have found ourselves in a boat in the middle of a lake... Pat and Ruth come along side us as we sit in that boat. As the retell their story they point us still in the boat back to Jesus. If you feel like you are in a boat in the middle of a deep lake — order and read this book!

This book was such an encouragement of hope, healing and real life. It shares foundations on the truth of God's word, and the truth that storms happen and will come into our lives..even for Christians...we are not guaranteed an easy life, but with Christ as our foundation, we will be able to make it through the storm! I recommend this book to anyone who is hurting, has been hurt from lifes storms or knows someone currently in the trenches.

*I received an advanced copy of this book. If you find yourself hurting, fighting life's circumstances whether financial, a hard health diagnosis, a broken relationship--whatever it is, Pat & Ruth's story of incurable cancer will bring you hope and encouragement. They share their shock and pain as well as how God showed up in the middle of their battle and changed them in ways they wouldn't have been otherwise. There is nothing more personal or powerful than the testimony of another believer. If you are walking through the the storm, be encouraged with their story.

Such encouragement. If you are not in a storm there is one coming. This is a great tool for your toolkit when you do! "Our deepest hurt is also where our greatest hope emerges. While we experience pain and loss, those circumstances are also the fertile soil for new beginnings. For new life. For a new day.We just need to look over and past that hurt to see it. Not ignore it but rise above it." *I did receive an advance copy for early review.

This book is a treasure in that it is a message with a solid, lasting impact, wrapped in a pleasing and easy read! Speaking honestly, boldly, and lovingly, both Patrick and Ruth Schwenk share from the heart (and most importantly, from scripture!) regarding the storms of life in all their many forms. For Patrick and Ruth, it was Patrick's cancer diagnosis that spurred them on to write this book while in the middle of their own stormy lake. The Schwenks share about their experience in the boat, all the while pointing back to the one and only true anchor, Jesus. A must-read for those that find themselves in the middle of discouragement, struggle, and very difficult times.

Has there ever been a time that you feel like you are in the middle of a lake? Darkness all around you? The water is rough and all you see when you look out is nothing short of an intimidating vastness? This book is for you. As a person that is truly starting this journey after feeling like my boat capsized, I have been seeking the word and I have found this wonderful book to help me feel normal. My boat is still in the middle of the lake but I know that Jesus ill meet me there and calm the waters. This wonderful book is an easy read due to the relatability to the the lives of anyone feeling like we are constantly bailing out the water. Purchase your copy today and begin navigating through the loneliness of the depths of the dark waters to finding the calmness of God’s love.

Very good book so far. I'm on day 1 of reading it. I am myself in a boat in the middle of what feels like the biggest lake imaginable so I needed this book. My only complaint about this book is it STINKS! I'm currently having to sit outside reading it because the pages inside the book smell like a rotten pumpkin! It's horrible and honestly it's making me sick. I don't see anyone else saying theirs stinks, so maybe it was just the production on the day my individual copy was made. And I cannot imagine what would make it smell this way, but its disgusting. Going to see if Amazon will send a new one because there is no way I could sit in bed and read this with the horrible smell its giving off!

This book has been a sort of life boat for me in a very hard season of faith, trust and suffering. The authors have written this book in a way that points the reader to BIBLICAL TRUTH while also sharing extremely relatable and transparent experiences and feelings. (Even for those not walking through a cancer diagnosis) It has helped me immensely in my processing, praying, and studying of the Word through this current storm. I am so grateful for their words and ministry in their book! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

This book helped me appreciate that good things can come from hardship. It also held a caution about pitfalls I can fall into when I do not open myself to God's work in me during trials. The Schwenks are honest about their doubts and questions, and I appreciated the reminder that I am not alone when I experience the confusion that accompanies suffering. Thank you both for sharing pieces of your story with us.

What a beautiful book! Whether you are doing through illness like Pat, or another problem - the authors come alongside you with beautiful reminders and ways to trust God. The book is honest, relatable, scriptural, totally hopeful. I highly recommend it!

This book really makes you sit and think about what is happening in your life and how you can fix your gaze upon God. It opens your eyes to show you that we really are not alone and God is always there no matter if we feel him or not. Definitely needed this reminder! Fantastic book!!

I absolutely love the encouragement in this book as Ruth and Patrick point us toward HOPE in the midst of a dark and difficult season for them. I would recommend this book to anyone going through a season of pain and uncertainty. This book will help you find HOPE and TRUST GOD through whatever season you go through.

No matter what storm of life you are facing, this book brings hope through faith. Must read if doubt or fear are threatening to swamp you. Experience how this true story of living in faith can encourage you to be vulnerable to lean into God and the people that grace your life.