Book Review: Undone, by Michele Cushatt

Every now and again, a book comes along that completely captures my heart and soul.  A book that says all the things that I’m pretty sure God has been trying to tell me anyway, and tells a story in which I can easily find mine.  Michele Cushatt’s memoir, Undone, is exactly that kind of book.

Michele’s story is very different from my own.  She’s been through things in her life that I can only imagine: surviving the heartache of divorce; becoming a single parent, and then a step-mom, and then a foster mom; and journeying through a long, long battle with tongue cancer – while building a career as a public speaker.  Goodness.  “Undone” is just the right word for how anyone would feel, going thru all that.

And yet Michele writes about all of it with no traces of bitterness or regret.  She tells her story with wry humor, authenticity, vulnerability, and incredible bravery – and as she tells it, she weaves in the greater story of how she’s seen God at work, in and through all of it.  While the ways in which my own life can sometimes feel “undone” are far different than those that she’s experienced, the way Michele connects her story to stories in the Bible and the things that God has been teaching her through them, invites me to see the ways in which His Word intersects with my own story as well.

Here are just some of the quotes from this book that truly spoke to my soul:

“Ministry – of the truest kind – isn’t about impressing unknown strangers with spotless presentations and a flawless life.  It’s about exposing the hidden imperfections and giving others permission to do the same.” (page 82)

“The life of a true Jesus-follower – someone who both says and means her promise of ‘anywhere’ and ‘anything’ – doesn’t follow smooth, paved roads.” (page 134)

“…sometimes messy is the necessary beginning to the makings of extraordinary.” (page 137)

“Faith isn’t rooted in the past or the future.  It’s birthed in how we approach and handle today.  It’s the anchor that holds us firmly in this moment, allowing us the freedom to experience it and enjoy it regardless of the regrets and what-ifs.” (page 157)

“Just because something is hard doesn’t mean we’re not called to it… And just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s not good.” (page 169)

Hooked yet?  I’m telling you – this is a book you need to read.

Whatever it is in your life that has ever made you think, “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.  I never thought it would turn out like this…” and whatever it is that sometimes makes you want to come “undone,” Michele’s beautifully written memoir will help you see the kindness of a compassionate God at work in your life.