I Cry in Corners by Chari Orozco Book Review

About the Book:

In this inspiring book, Pastor Chari Orozco explores how Jesus handled emotions during his time on earth and encourages readers to treat their feelings as a gift—an invitation from God to grow in spiritual maturity.

Our emotions drive so much of what we do, say, and think, even if we don’t realize it. Our response to our feelings—denying they exist, letting them lead our actions unchecked, distracting ourselves to avoid feeling them—can greatly impact our lives and those around us. Emotions are essential for everyday life, but how we navigate them in the storms of life will make or break us.

 
In I Cry in Corners, charismatic up-and-coming pastor Chari Orozco takes the readers through the life of Jesus, examining the powerful emotional tests he faced and how he responded, from his terror in the Garden of Gethsemane to his righteous anger in the temple to his disappointment when those he loved best betrayed him.

In each chapter, Chari gives readers both practical and spiritual wisdom to help them respond to emotions like Jesus did. How do we steward our emotions when those closest people fail us? We turn around and wash the feet of the ones we love. How do we face temptation? We refuse to get hangry, resist the devil, and remember that our value lies not in what we have but how we love. How do we steward our emotions with maturity when the hurt we’ve suffered comes from those who claim to know and love Jesus? We do what Jesus did: choose our words wisely, keep our eyes on the joy set before us, and, if necessary, flip over some tables. Our feelings are a gift from God, and through the life and struggles of Jesus, we find a blueprint for honoring your feelings without getting lost in them.
 
Written with a wry, straight-talking, irreverent but always faithful tone, Chari effortlessly weaves together stories of the New Testament with her own insightful, humorous, and refreshingly candid anecdotes. The resulting book is an affirmation of feeling all the feels while encouraging readers to use their emotions as a catalyst for deep spiritual growth.

You can read an excerpt here.

My Review:

I like that Orozco calls us to navigate our emotions the way Jesus navigated his. When lonely, for example, Jesus went to solitude. But he was not alone. His solitude was recharging in the presence of the Father.

My favorite emotion Orozco teaches about is feeling overwhelmed. She reflects on Jesus in the garden and notes he told his trusted friends what he was feeling. Then he got honest with God and finally let go, submitting to God's will. What a good example to follow.

I also like her pointing out Jesus' identity and confidence was not based on his heritage, education, location or accomplishments but rather in the truth of what Scripture said about Him and his relationship to the Father.

Rather than being a typical Christian self help book, Orozco really looks to Jesus for insights on navigating our emotions. I appreciate this teaching from Jesus' life example and his teaching. Orozco shares many experiences from her own life too. This book is a good resource for Christians.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Chari Orozco is an author of books, teacher of the Bible, and podcaster focused on all the feels. She is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus and using her gifts of speaking, writing, and design to impact the lives of those around her. When Chari is not writing or teaching she can be found traveling, designing and producing shows like Women of the Bible, Outside the Walls, and Coffee with Andi. She serves with her husband as lead pastors of Hope St. Pete in St. Petersburg, Florida.

FaithWords, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)