I’M FINE!
Removing masks and growing into wholeness
By Wendy Billington
Bible Reading Fellowship. 176 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978 1 841 018 713
The author is the Director of the Sevenoaks Counselling Service, as well as being involved in a pastoral care role in her local Anglican church.
Her listening and pastoral experience shines through in this helpful book. Wendy tries to get behind the usual ‘I’m fine’ response on a Sunday in church when we all ask each other how we are. She tackles issues such as low self-esteem, depression, loneliness, marriage, financial pressures, parenting pain, loss addictions, domestic abuse and fear of change. In such a short volume (176 pages) no subject is tackled exhaustively, but just enough to give the ‘lay person’ helpful insights to enable them to draw alongside someone else in pain. However, the way the subjects are explored means that this book could be safely given to someone in trouble themselves. In fact each chapter contains advice about how people can help themselves , how the Bible and God can help and how the church can help, as well as a short prayer. The author tackles each subject with pastoral as well as biblical insights, and avoids the trap of using the scriptures as aspirins – a pill for every ill. Case studies keep the book grounded in the realities of people’s lives. The author is very insightful, particularly on how problems can affect people’s spiritual lives. A handy book, especially for the pastoral worker .
