Book Review: Through the Eyes of a Lion

I was gifted the book "Through the Eyes of a Lion" by a family in our Sunday School class. About two months after Oliver passed, I started reading it. My daughter (who I homeschool) and I would sit on our shady porch in the mornings, and in between helping her with her 3rd grade math, spelling, and writing assignments, I would slowly read one paragraph at a time. I struggled to concentrate enough to read anything at all during this time of raw grief, but these small chunks while sitting outside with my daughter nearby I could do. I would underline and star things I wanted to come back to with whatever colored pencil was within reach. By the time it was too cool in the mornings to sit on the porch, I had finished reading the book.

In "Through the Eyes of a Lion", author Levi Lusko shares the story of his young daughter, Lenya, passing away unexpectedly. He gave words to my grief during a time when my grief was only crazy feelings that could pull me in any direction at any moment. He pointed me to specific Bible verses of hope that I knew were there but I couldn't find on my own yet. He showed me a God big enough to guide me and anchor me through any struggle, big enough to work in mighty ways even through this terrible pain and loss. Through reading a book of someone else's loss, I didn't feel so alone. He imagined a bigger picture of my future and my family's future than I could at the time. Frequent pop culture references kept me distracted enough from the pain to allow me to keep reading (even if many of them went over my head).

This book is certainly for those facing their own seasons of grief and loss. But it is also for everyone. The title "Through the Eyes of a Lion" refers to seeing our trials through the lens of God, rather than our broken human lens. Lusko seeks to answer the question, "How do you live out an extraordinary calling while doing ordinary things and living in a world that is all screwed up?".

Lusko reminds readers that heaven is a real place where our loved ones are celebrating and where believers will be reunited because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He calls believers to wait on God for strength and take heart because of the glorious promises God has given to us. He challenges us to see our trials as an opportunity to hear from God, proclaim His Word, serve others, and be blessed. He encourages us to cultivate our longing for heaven. "It's there to keep our heart set on pilgrimage and our feet moving forward. It's caffeine for our souls to prevent us being lulled to sleep. It keeps us alert. Focused on our calling. Laying up treasures in heaven." And finally he admonishes believers to run towards the things that scare us in order to take hold of our destiny.

We loved going to the zoo, especially when we were living
near Omaha, NE. I don't have a picture of Oliver with a
lion, but I did find one of him with a bobcat! He loved
small machinery. Those dimples and eyes!

It is rare in a book about grief and suffering to find someone raw and real about the pain while also maintaining a hopeful, biblical, Christ-centered focus. This book ended up being exactly what I needed during my early days of grief. I continue to turn to it when I need a fresh reminder of God's faithfulness in the midst of suffering.

Jesus has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Tim 1:10b ESV