So Worth Loving

Eryn Eddy

Description

To be human means to try and sometimes fail, to love and sometimes lose, to risk and sometimes regret. There are times when we realize where our choices have brought us and we're afraid to be honest--with ourselves, with others, with God--about how we're really feeling and how we got to where we are. Because what if no one understands? What if they think less of us? What if God is disappointed with us?Eryn Eddy wants you to know that no matter your past mistakes, relationship status, career choice, or feelings, nothing can change the truth that you are so worth loving. In this openhearted book, she takes you by the hand and helps you look in, look up, and look out, exploring your relationship with yourself, God, and others. She gives you permission to feel deeply and openly before God, who isn't afraid of our feelings, no matter what they are. And she lovingly reminds you that you are not crazy, you are not alone, and you will get through this.

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 19 janvier 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493428786
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Endorsements
“Eryn has committed her life to helping others know their value. Here, we get to pull back the curtain and discover the hurt behind this hopeful healer. Each page is packed with warmth, wisdom, and heartfelt honesty. This soul-affirming book is much like the heart of its author—effervescent and expansive.”
Brad Montague , New York Times bestselling author, illustrator, and creator of Kid President
“Eryn Eddy is a dreamer. And for those of us with hopes and dreams (and that includes you), life can be hard on us. That’s why So Worth Loving is an important book. Eryn shares her story with authenticity, candor, and hope, reminding you that the dreams in you are worth pursuing because you are so worth loving.”
Jeff Henderson , author of Know What You’ re FOR: A Growth Strategy for Work, An Even Better Strategy for Life
“Reading So Worth Loving is like taking a plunge off a cliff into a clear waterfall of honesty, healing, and hope. Eryn Eddy grabs you by the hand, leans her head in, and, with a joyous twinkle, dares you to jump—with her going first. When you rise to the surface, you’ll gulp the fresh air of discovery. There you are! And there is the one true God who knows you through and through, loves you just the way you are, and assures you that there’s nothing you can do about it. Indeed, you are so worth loving!”
Elisa Morgan , speaker; author, When We Pray Like Jesus ; cohost, Discover the Word ; president emerita, MOPS International
“ ‘ I needed this.’ Comb through the responses to the stories Eryn and So Worth Loving have shared online in the past decade and these are the words you’ll find over and over again. My reaction to Eryn’s formal diary, So Worth Loving , is no different. I needed this book. You might too.”
Mary Chau , lettering artist, maker of things, and proud friend of Eryn Eddy
“Not only is this book good, it caused me to change the story I tell myself. Everyone needs this book.”
Jeff Shinabarger , founder of Plywood People and coauthor of Love or Work
“Eryn’s voice is just what our world needs right now. She writes so beautifully of owning your story, becoming accountable for your own life, and empowering yourself through your faith. In a world inundated with self-help books and information on how to be better, she has used her own story to empower others toward fulfilling their lives through their faith and using what they already have within them.”
Shelly Brown , editor in chief of Good Grit magazine
“Eryn has devoted her life to helping people understand their worth. This book builds upon that legacy and takes a candid look at her own story. So Worth Loving reveals a profound understanding that our true humanity, our ability to love, is rooted in a God who first loved us.”
Kurtis Johnson , first So Worth Loving employee, friend, dad, and hot sauce enthusiast
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2021 by Eryn Eddy
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-2878-6
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled CSB are from the Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
The author is represented by The Bindery LLC.
Dedication
To Craig and Juli Eddy, informally known as Mama and Daddy:
You have weathered your own personal storms and selflessly stepped into mine without hesitation. God uses you as an instrument to show his love in people’s lives, and mine is one of those lives. There are no words I could garner that would reflect appropriately my gratitude for you. I am honored and so proud that you are my parents. Thank you for never giving up on me.
Contents
Cover 1
Endorsements 2
Half Title Page 3
Title Page 5
Copyright Page 6
Dedication 7
Foreword by Mike Foster 11
Introduction 13
look in 21
Agreement 31
Reflection 39
Unfinished 46
Heavy 55
Purpose 61
Angry 69
Drift 76
Discomfort 83
look up 89
Intimacy 97
Endurance 103
Recovering 107
Sabotage 111
Vulnerable 115
Lies 118
Healing 125
Loneliness 129
Relief 133
Choose 137
look out 143
Breathe 147
Risk 151
Desire 155
Hope 159
Forgive 162
Friend 167
Honesty 173
Lighthouse 177
Conclusion 183
Afterword by Terence Lester 189
Acknowledgments 193
About the Author 197
Back Ads 199
Back Cover 203
Foreword
I will never forget my first time meeting Eryn. I had followed her work through social media, and we had many mutual friends. From afar I admired her entrepreneurialism and passion to make the world a more hopeful place. Her kindness toward others was self-evident. Eryn’s creativity and design were impeccable. Her compassion for the hurting was inspiring. When we finally connected in Atlanta, she blew me away.
Her energy and vulnerability were infectious. (By the way, you will find both of these things on every page of this book.) Everything I had heard and seen was true. She oozed positivity and her laugh sparkled. She was smart, wise, and fun. But what I most admired about her was her willingness to embrace the pain. She was able to sit in the tension of hope and personal suffering in such an inspiring way. I remember thinking to myself, I wish more people were like her. The world would certainly be a better place .
What I love about So Worth Loving and the words on these pages is that it is fully Eryn. It reflects exactly who she is and what she passionately believes in. It would be virtually impossible to miss her message, even if you don’t feel so lovable right now. For many who read her words, you will want to be her best friend when you’re done with this book. Actually, you’ll most likely feel this way after just a couple paragraphs. And the reason is because she reflects back to us what we so often miss. Our value. Our goodness. That we are deeply loved even when we don’t feel like it. And this is what a good friend does: they remind us who we really are. And Eryn is that friend.
She is unrelenting when it comes to breaking the shame that binds us. For her, these words and concepts are a way of life. When she reminds us that we are all “so worth loving,” it’s not a catchy slogan but an intervention. She is here to shake us from our slumber and wake us up to the power of radical grace in our lives.
Some authors write from a place of observation and kindly instruct us with tips and suggestions. Eryn takes a different approach. She pulls back all the personal protective layers and shows us the underbelly of the journey to actually knowing our true value. It is a road she has traveled in her own story. A story she has had to fight hard for. The beautiful nuggets of wisdom in this book ring true because she has lived through both the questions and the answers. She knows what it’s like to carry something that we were not meant to carry. She writes as both a wise sage and a wounded warrior. This is what makes her words epic.
Shame and insecurity have hijacked too many of our stories. The pressure to hustle for our value has left us withered and deflated. The good news is, we don’t have to live this way any longer. This marvelous book is the road map to help us get back to that place called love.
Mike Foster , counselor and host of Fun Therapy podcast
Introduction
If you are like me, you never read introductions. But I promised my editor I would write one . . . so I gave it my best shot, and I think I actually like introductions now.
Why You’re Here
If you’re holding this book, you are most likely wondering if you are worth anything, wondering Am I enough? Maybe we are meeting in a season of life that feels a little heavy—maybe really heavy. Maybe you feel like you don’t know what to do, where to go, who to trust, how you will get through, or who you are. Maybe your circumstance came out of nowhere, but here you are, and the uncertainty of it is pressing down on your chest.
After my divorce, I moved back home with my parents. I was about fifteen pounds underweight because my anxiety had diminished my appetite. I was depressed. My hair was falling out, and I barely brushed my teeth.
I was emotionally and physically exhausted.
I had been living in the hustle and bustle of Atlanta, Georgia. But then I found myself two hours away from there, back in my tiny hometown. I crawled into my parents’ guest bed, still wearing all my clothes and makeup from the day. Lying there was the first time I truly acknowledged that I missed the presence of another person holding me at night.
Studies show that when someone holds you, your brain releases a happy chemical. For nine and a half years, I had a version of happy. But now, days were hard, and so was sleeping. I grabbed a king-size pillow to place behind my back, and I wrapped m