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Promises in the Dark: Walking with Those in Need Without Losing Heart
“DESCRIPTION
Promises in the Dark by Dr. Eric McLaughlin strengthens the hearts of readers to persevere in God’s calling to walk with those in need. As a missionary doctor in Africa, McLaughlin knows how walking closely with those who suffer and bearing others’ burdens can easily lead to burnout or cynicism—unless we find the path to perseverance that the Lord provides.
This resource explores how to find both calling and hope, living in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a dying world.
McLaughlin explores how to endure in such a yet-to-be-redeemed world as ours, which is full of tragedy and heartache, pointing to God’s promises.”
Description taken from https://newgrowthpress.com/promises-i...
Promises in the Dark by Dr. Eric McLaughlin strengthens the hearts of readers to persevere in God’s calling to walk with those in need. As a missionary doctor in Africa, McLaughlin knows how walking closely with those who suffer and bearing others’ burdens can easily lead to burnout or cynicism—unless we find the path to perseverance that the Lord provides.
This resource explores how to find both calling and hope, living in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a dying world.
McLaughlin explores how to endure in such a yet-to-be-redeemed world as ours, which is full of tragedy and heartache, pointing to God’s promises.”
Description taken from https://newgrowthpress.com/promises-i...
- GenresMemoir
176 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 16, 2023
I picked up this book because I wanted to read an intelligent layperson report back from a life of Christian service what it was like to be spiritually mature, grappling with the presence of good and the presence of evil. The book answered the call.
October 16, 2019
There are many books exhorting Christians to go and serve the Lord in cross-cultural contexts, but few that are meant to be read while wrestling through the sorrows and struggles they'll encounter in those situations. Eric McLaughlin has written such a book, indispensable for all who feel the pain of death and suffering in their day-to-day work.
October 21, 2024
Wow. One of my favorite books I have ever read. Part autobiography of a Christian doctor working in Kenya, part musings on the tension of trusting God's character and promises in a broken world, this book spoke to my soul in a way that is difficult to put into words.
It most reminded me of reading Joni Eareckson Tada's "When God Weeps" or C.S. Lewis's "The Problem of Pain."
Highly recommend for every believer, but especially those involved in counseling or vocational ministry.
It most reminded me of reading Joni Eareckson Tada's "When God Weeps" or C.S. Lewis's "The Problem of Pain."
Highly recommend for every believer, but especially those involved in counseling or vocational ministry.
August 9, 2021
A Christian doctor gives firsthand accounts of his experiences working at a hospital in Kenya. He gives gospel hope as he shares stories of light and dark, joy and sorrow, suffering and healing.
January 6, 2020
Eric McLaughlin is a thoughtful writer, compassionate doctor, patient teacher, committed medical missionary, talented musician, and I'm happy to say a good friend (even though we see each other only sporadically and usually in different countries or states.
I was given "Promises in the Dark" from my daughter as a Christmas present and looked eagerly into reading this book. I knew Eric had been working on this book for years and finally was able to get published.
Like our family (just a few years later) Eric (internal medicine) and his wife Rachel (OB/GYN) entered medical missions through WMM's Post-Residency program in Kenya (at Tenwek Hospital). Their family joined a group of other like minded medical missionary families and entered into full time/long term missions in Burundi at Hope Hospital several years back. We had the opportunity to visit and serve briefly alongside their team of doctors (both Burundian and Western) a few years back.
Even though my review is biased..this book still deserves 5 stars. So if you are looking for a missionary story with lion attacks, feeding a tribe with an elephant a missionary killed, last minute rescues on a bleeding patient, and victories where the patient always survives, the diagnosis is always clear, and the author never questions the purity of his intentions..you are reading the wrong book.
Medical missions is slow, plodding, often ordinary..imagine an Arc of faithfulness that extends year after year. Eric writes to an audience that may be discouraged, depressed, or losing hope in the face of
what seems like insurmountable odds in medical missions...limited medicine, electricity that is not reliable, patients that don't recover, diagnosis that are unknown.
Eric provides different coping strategies in each chapter for providing compassion without losing heart...prayer, patience, relying on God's promises, etc.
My favorite chapter is 'Haunted' where Eric exposes his own struggles with "have I done enough"..similar to Oscar Schindler.
Great book...recommend it for anyone involved in medical missions.
I was given "Promises in the Dark" from my daughter as a Christmas present and looked eagerly into reading this book. I knew Eric had been working on this book for years and finally was able to get published.
Like our family (just a few years later) Eric (internal medicine) and his wife Rachel (OB/GYN) entered medical missions through WMM's Post-Residency program in Kenya (at Tenwek Hospital). Their family joined a group of other like minded medical missionary families and entered into full time/long term missions in Burundi at Hope Hospital several years back. We had the opportunity to visit and serve briefly alongside their team of doctors (both Burundian and Western) a few years back.
Even though my review is biased..this book still deserves 5 stars. So if you are looking for a missionary story with lion attacks, feeding a tribe with an elephant a missionary killed, last minute rescues on a bleeding patient, and victories where the patient always survives, the diagnosis is always clear, and the author never questions the purity of his intentions..you are reading the wrong book.
Medical missions is slow, plodding, often ordinary..imagine an Arc of faithfulness that extends year after year. Eric writes to an audience that may be discouraged, depressed, or losing hope in the face of
what seems like insurmountable odds in medical missions...limited medicine, electricity that is not reliable, patients that don't recover, diagnosis that are unknown.
Eric provides different coping strategies in each chapter for providing compassion without losing heart...prayer, patience, relying on God's promises, etc.
My favorite chapter is 'Haunted' where Eric exposes his own struggles with "have I done enough"..similar to Oscar Schindler.
Great book...recommend it for anyone involved in medical missions.
January 20, 2020
What is God doing? We ask when sorrow overwhelms us. "How could God be present in the midst of all this? we wonder when our failures seem so pointless. We are called to hope in the promises of God while our feet still pound the dust of a world full of brokenness. The promises of God are given to sustain us on this road. They are not ethereal abstractions, but rather promises as real and everyday as the dust of the path we walk. Though it's never easy, we find along the way, the reminders and the whispers that the promises are true and the one who promises is faithful. He has placed these promises in the dark, precisely where he knows we need them. We must return again and again to God's promises.
Eric McLaughlin has articulated in the most profound way the difference between despair and lament ion. Despair is unbelief and lament ion is a costly belief. Eric serves the people of Africa in the medial field and he has witnessed sorrow, pain, death, oppression, failure and victory. Each chapter is short but he shares with detail the people he serves. He also shares his compassion and the overwhelming sense of the brokenness that brings him back to the promises in the dark. You see Jesus in each chapter and the hope of something better. Whether you are a Christian or not, we can be overcome by our inefficiencies and failures. Eric has experienced both. This is a journey and not a one time fix, or even positive thinking. It is a resolve to go on and not to grow weary in doing good. Remember our reasons for hope. Remember the one that is faithful. Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Eric McLaughlin has articulated in the most profound way the difference between despair and lament ion. Despair is unbelief and lament ion is a costly belief. Eric serves the people of Africa in the medial field and he has witnessed sorrow, pain, death, oppression, failure and victory. Each chapter is short but he shares with detail the people he serves. He also shares his compassion and the overwhelming sense of the brokenness that brings him back to the promises in the dark. You see Jesus in each chapter and the hope of something better. Whether you are a Christian or not, we can be overcome by our inefficiencies and failures. Eric has experienced both. This is a journey and not a one time fix, or even positive thinking. It is a resolve to go on and not to grow weary in doing good. Remember our reasons for hope. Remember the one that is faithful. Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to New Growth Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
March 15, 2022
I will probably read and reread this book for a long long time. It was helpful theologically and comforting from a literary perspective. It was probably how poetry people feel about finding an epic poem that describes all their feelings. I hate poetry but this book ministered to me in a poetic way.
April 26, 2022
Subtitled “Walking with Those in Need Without Losing Heart”, this book grapples with seeing the goodness of God in the midst of pain.
Eric McLaughlin is a missionary physician in Africa, treating impoverished and severely ill patients with limited resources. He’s given us a gritty and encouraging book steeped in Scripture. I especially appreciate the questions for thought at each chapter’s end.
Eric McLaughlin is a missionary physician in Africa, treating impoverished and severely ill patients with limited resources. He’s given us a gritty and encouraging book steeped in Scripture. I especially appreciate the questions for thought at each chapter’s end.
April 16, 2020
This book is a must-read for all Christians persevering in a helping ministry. It does not gloss over the pain, doubts, and ambivalence of continuing to love and strive. At the same time, it celebrates the quiet yet amazing ways God sustains and works. Although Dr McLaughlin works in conditions harsher than most, helping Christians in any setting will find his nuanced expressions very relatable. He has a way of putting words to my own inner struggles!
June 6, 2020
T.S. Eliot once set out to discover why so much religious poetry was bad. He knew plenty of intelligent and talented Christians, so what was the issue? His conclusion was simple—religious poetry was often bad because the poet expressed how they thought they should feel, rather than how they felt. I think he nailed it. And we can use that insight to identify part of what makes some writing about faith and religion so bitingly good. The Psalms, for example. No sugar-coating going on there. "A Grief Observed," CS Lewis's raw and powerful response to his wife's death. Eric McLaughlin's book belongs in the same category. This is a book not about how a medical missionary serving the poorest of the poor is supposed to feel, but how he feels. Honesty, along with a clean and accessible prose style, makes this a crucial read for anyone who's ever tried to help others—or turned away from helping, for fear that their help might not be enough.
Why don't more of us help people who are suffering? I believe one of the reasons is that getting involved exposes us to tragedy and pain. This book offers an antidote to that inaction, not by pretending tragedy won't happen, but by acknowledging it, working through it, and teaching us how to live through it, rather than running from it.
It'll take you a day or two to read this book, and it'll take you the rest of your life to practice what you learn.
Why don't more of us help people who are suffering? I believe one of the reasons is that getting involved exposes us to tragedy and pain. This book offers an antidote to that inaction, not by pretending tragedy won't happen, but by acknowledging it, working through it, and teaching us how to live through it, rather than running from it.
It'll take you a day or two to read this book, and it'll take you the rest of your life to practice what you learn.
June 24, 2023
I finally read this book, which has become well known in the medical missions world. McLaughlin and his wife served at the same mission hospital in Kenya where we served for two years (although he predated us by several years), and now they live and serve at a mission hospital in Burundi. This book directly addresses many of the difficulties of serving as a medical missionary in a poor, under-resourced area. McLaughlin wrestles with sorrow and suffering and grief, and offers reflections and takeaways without offering pat answers to incomparably difficult realities. His storytelling is extremely well done – the stories are memorable (if sometimes memorable in a heartbreaking way) and directly correlates with the Scripture passages and reflections he conveys. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wondering if there's any light in the darkness, or anyone serving among the poor, or anyone wanting to better understand the inner thought life of a medical missionary.
March 10, 2021
Must-Read for Everyone in Ministry!
Wow, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Every teacher, doctor, social worker, first responder, and minister would appreciate this book. If you've ever wondered if what you are doing is worthwhile or is making a difference, if God is good, why prayers go unanswered, if you're becoming weary in the face of evil and death, then Promises in the Dark is a must-read. Written by a missionary doctor in a poor area of Africa, this book does not give pat answers or solutions, but it gives great hope and encouragement, reminding us that God is Love and shows how to have faith even when we don't understand. I cried the whole way through.
Wow, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Every teacher, doctor, social worker, first responder, and minister would appreciate this book. If you've ever wondered if what you are doing is worthwhile or is making a difference, if God is good, why prayers go unanswered, if you're becoming weary in the face of evil and death, then Promises in the Dark is a must-read. Written by a missionary doctor in a poor area of Africa, this book does not give pat answers or solutions, but it gives great hope and encouragement, reminding us that God is Love and shows how to have faith even when we don't understand. I cried the whole way through.
November 11, 2020
There’s a sorrow in walking with people in sorrow, and a burden in carrying other people’s burdens. Eric McLaughlin has been there, and his words are absolutely healing for heavy souls. I cried several times reading this book. Highly recommended.
“Maybe our world is actually like that. Maybe all the ordinary grace and love is what is really keeping the darkness at bay. At the very least, this idea is consistent with God’s strength being glorified in our weakness. For when we have no extraordinary work to contribute, then there is very little in the way of pride and very much in the way of praise for God.”
“Maybe our world is actually like that. Maybe all the ordinary grace and love is what is really keeping the darkness at bay. At the very least, this idea is consistent with God’s strength being glorified in our weakness. For when we have no extraordinary work to contribute, then there is very little in the way of pride and very much in the way of praise for God.”
April 18, 2020
Every medical practitioner working with the underserved should read this book. I’m not a medical person (just a medical person’s spouse, and no, that’s not the same thing), but I also found it very thought provoking. He’s very honest about the struggles of work when there seems to be so little you can do. He also points out God’s character and promises, but doesn’t tie it all up neatly, which I liked. He lets you feel the tension, which is just exactly what life is. I’m still trying to determine how widely applicable this would be beyond the medical community.
September 21, 2020
This book is very thoughtful and gives a really honest and refreshing perspective on suffering. The stories and words are encouraging and inspiring to read. However, the book does get a bit redundant as the book goes on and I found it difficult to finish (probably better to read one chapter at a time slowly, as it's not exactly a page-turner and does require reflection). I did appreciate how it has meaningful discussion questions that would be good for an interested group to read together.
November 27, 2020
Written in the trenches of a doctor's work in Africa, this book addresses the impossible tension of human suffering and God's love. His medical stories are graphic and devastating and made me cry. But His confidence in God's fullness of redemption never crumbles. A simple read, with discussion questions after each chapter. Three stars because it's so simple, barely high school level reading. But the content is solid and useful to any aspiring missionary.
July 25, 2022
I wanted to like this calm book of reflections on dealing with suffering on a daily context through the lens of a missionary doctor in Africa.
I loved the vignettes, albeit not the tragedies, of McLaughlin's patients. His respectful and thoughtful reflections gave me pause to think and are very worth considering.
I loved the vignettes, albeit not the tragedies, of McLaughlin's patients. His respectful and thoughtful reflections gave me pause to think and are very worth considering.
August 13, 2023
3 verses takeaway
2 Cor1:4
God who comforts us in all affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any afflictions with the comfort with which we are comforted by God
Gal 6:2
Bear one another's burderns and so fulfill thr law of Christ
Matt 11:6
Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
2 Cor1:4
God who comforts us in all affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any afflictions with the comfort with which we are comforted by God
Gal 6:2
Bear one another's burderns and so fulfill thr law of Christ
Matt 11:6
Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.
February 17, 2020
Real heart issues
I had to slow down when reading this book. Eric's words speak directly to heart issues. With the truth of continued attention to God and His will. Hope is a flowing.
I had to slow down when reading this book. Eric's words speak directly to heart issues. With the truth of continued attention to God and His will. Hope is a flowing.
August 7, 2020
Eric's writing articulates the tension we often walk between knowing God and our experiences living out faith in God. It is an excellent push to wrestle with this tension and accept that the tension is a good place for growth. The book is great for group discussion.
December 25, 2021
I’ve been feeling a deep heaviness this holiday season. The doubts of my heart and the pervasiveness of the world seem to keep my heart in a state of upheaval and disarray and discontentment. But when I was reading this book, I felt very peaceful. A beautiful reminder of God’s promises.
May 8, 2020
We are called to hope in the promises of God while our feet still pound the dust of a world full of brokenness.
January 23, 2025
This book is incredible - Dr. McLaughlin does an excellent job wrestling with the beauty of the paradox of working amidst extreme suffering, seeking hope in the Gospel over and over again.
May 24, 2025
Great read, for anyone traveling to do medical mission work (Nashville->Africa and beyond). Authentic raw honesty.
September 11, 2025
Really appreciated the insights and tone of this book. Watered me. Suspect it'll be one I return to.
March 1, 2020
Promises in the Dark
Walking Those in Need without Losing Heart
by Eric McLaughlin
New Growth Press
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 14 Oct 2019
I am reviewing a copy of Promises in the Dark through New Grove Press and Netgalley:
This book is a great tool to strengthen the readers heart and encourages them to Persevere in God's Calling to walk with those in need.
The Author Eric McLaughlin M.D is a missionary doctor in Africa. He understands how working with those in the most need can lead to getting burned out or to Cynicism, that is unless we find the path to persevere, a path the Lord provides.
In this book the readers will find a resource that shows how to find both calling as well as hope and showing the readers what is in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a world that is dying.
I give this book five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
Walking Those in Need without Losing Heart
by Eric McLaughlin
New Growth Press
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 14 Oct 2019
I am reviewing a copy of Promises in the Dark through New Grove Press and Netgalley:
This book is a great tool to strengthen the readers heart and encourages them to Persevere in God's Calling to walk with those in need.
The Author Eric McLaughlin M.D is a missionary doctor in Africa. He understands how working with those in the most need can lead to getting burned out or to Cynicism, that is unless we find the path to persevere, a path the Lord provides.
In this book the readers will find a resource that shows how to find both calling as well as hope and showing the readers what is in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a world that is dying.
I give this book five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
January 6, 2020
This book could be considered balm for an aching heart. The world is full of pain, suffering, and people whose hearts are breaking. This is true, regardless of where and how you live. Eric tackles the tough question -- how can we, as Christians, live compassionately and take heart despite it all? Though this book is written from the perspective of a missionary physician, I think that this book is applicable to all, regardless of where and how you are living.
I took heart while reading this book, buoyed on by the personal and theological extrapolations thereof...in particular, I appreciated Eric's explanation of lament vs. despair. It's hard to put into words how much of a blessing it was to progress through each chapter.
Each chapter also contains questions at the end, so if you're looking for a book club selection or a book for your discussion group, this might be a good option. The questions are deep, and thought will be required. I admit to having skipped the questions for further thought at the end of each chapter, but quite frankly, I can see myself rereading this book and giving those questions due contemplation in the future.
Thanks Eric for sharing your journey -- and for uplifting those of us living in different situations, but facing the similar struggles of the heart. If you are/know a Christian who struggles with why bad things happen and are disheartened by the prevalence of injustice in this world, I think you will find this book an insightful read....pointing you to how Jesus is making all things new, even if we don't find the answers to our questions in this world.
I took heart while reading this book, buoyed on by the personal and theological extrapolations thereof...in particular, I appreciated Eric's explanation of lament vs. despair. It's hard to put into words how much of a blessing it was to progress through each chapter.
Each chapter also contains questions at the end, so if you're looking for a book club selection or a book for your discussion group, this might be a good option. The questions are deep, and thought will be required. I admit to having skipped the questions for further thought at the end of each chapter, but quite frankly, I can see myself rereading this book and giving those questions due contemplation in the future.
Thanks Eric for sharing your journey -- and for uplifting those of us living in different situations, but facing the similar struggles of the heart. If you are/know a Christian who struggles with why bad things happen and are disheartened by the prevalence of injustice in this world, I think you will find this book an insightful read....pointing you to how Jesus is making all things new, even if we don't find the answers to our questions in this world.
February 5, 2020
This is for anyone working through what it means to cling to God’s promises while facing hard times, both your own and that of others. Eric and his wife serve as medical missionaries in Africa and he has written this book as a reflection on what it means to walk with those in need without losing heart.
Each chapter starts with a story of his own experience that introduces the point, and then he leads the reader to God’s word and God’s character, fleshing out the implications, both in his own situation but also further afield. Each chapter finishes with some questions for reflection, which bring the reader very closely to the issue, considering their own response to God, who he is and and how he acts.
Chapters address topics such as: promise, despair, hope, time, ordinary, prayer, suffering, mystery, consolation, resurrection and redemption.
I believe it would be excellent reading for anyone on the mission field (whether doctors in Africa or in other roles), but also anyone who wonders what it means to continue to cling to the promises and character of God when life is challenging.
Each chapter starts with a story of his own experience that introduces the point, and then he leads the reader to God’s word and God’s character, fleshing out the implications, both in his own situation but also further afield. Each chapter finishes with some questions for reflection, which bring the reader very closely to the issue, considering their own response to God, who he is and and how he acts.
Chapters address topics such as: promise, despair, hope, time, ordinary, prayer, suffering, mystery, consolation, resurrection and redemption.
I believe it would be excellent reading for anyone on the mission field (whether doctors in Africa or in other roles), but also anyone who wonders what it means to continue to cling to the promises and character of God when life is challenging.
October 24, 2019
Surely Eric McLaughlin is a skilled physician, and “Promises in the Dark” shows him to be a skilled writer. His words touch heart and mind with images that will not be forgotten. Eric tells stories from his experiences as a medical missionary in Africa. They are poignant stores that will cause you to pause to allow your heart to catch up with your mind. But they are so much more than moving missionary stories used to illustrate a sermon or devotional guide. They compel any reader to consider what it means to live and hope and suffer as a human being. The stories and Eric’s reflection on them test Christian convictions against the reality of lives lived in Africa and wherever the reader lives. “Promises in the Dark” is not for the timid, but will reward the courageous reader willing to go to the places Eric McLaughlin takes us.
August 3, 2021
This book was a blessing to me. It encouraged my heart to keep hoping and trusting in a sovereign God even when we don't understand His works or his ways.
A couple of the chapters towards the end really resonated with me, especially the one titled Haunted. It describes how I often wonder if I'm doing enough .... or too little....
I received this book courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review.
However, I do highly recommend this book. It took me a while to read it, even though it's not very long because truly it requires reflection.
A couple of the chapters towards the end really resonated with me, especially the one titled Haunted. It describes how I often wonder if I'm doing enough .... or too little....
I received this book courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review.
However, I do highly recommend this book. It took me a while to read it, even though it's not very long because truly it requires reflection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews