Review: And It Was Beautiful By Kara Tippetts

The first time I heard of Kara Tippetts was about a year ago. She and her family were interviewed in By Faith Magazine. When I read Kara’s story, it was close to the end of her life. I felt sad she would not live to see her children grow up and her children would lose their mother to this terrible sickness of cancer.  In the year since her death, I learned more about Kara, her beautiful life and the courage she showed us even while facing a long goodbye.

Note: I would like to thank the publisher David C Cook for providing me a copy of this book to review.  All opinions in this post are my own.  This post may include affiliate links.  Read my disclosure policy here.

This book opens with 3 simple sentences from Kara, “I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it.” Kara shows us throughout this book the beauty of life, even one that seemed to end incomplete.

None of us want to experience cancer.  Not chemotherapy, radiation, endless MRI’s and other tests, too many doctor visits and reports (each time we pray for good news, yet some visits may confirm our worst fears). In And It Was Beautiful: Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-bye, Kara Tippetts shows us the courage to face each day and each moment in this long journey.

Throughout this book, Kara shows us her heart. She is open and honest. She shares her fears, her happy moments, her disappointments and challenges. Most importantly, she shows us her faith. She recognizes it’s okay that we don’t always understand God’s purpose and plan, but we trust that His plan for us and our family is perfect.

Kara will remind you that none of us are promised more time and a long life. We should make memories with our family, friends and loved ones every day.  Each day is a gift not to be taken for granted.

For those who are facing cancer or other long illnesses, she will give you the courage and hope to know that you are never alone.  Your “hard” whatever form it may take has a purpose. God is with you, shaping you, and drawing your closer to him.

Maybe your “hard” is not cancer or even life threatening, we all have “hard” in our life. Kara will remind you of God’s love and eternal plan even when nothing makes sense now.  She will encourage you that Jesus is drawing you closer every day.

And It Was Beautiful: Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-bye will encourage you, give you hope, and remind you to find beauty in every day. To plan your life as if you will live a long time, but recognize none of us are promised tomorrow and we should live every day drawing closer to God and celebrating life.

Kara’s life and journey are an example for all of us. She showed us a beautiful life, although it was all too short, so that we could have courage in our journey too.