Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices

Ragged Hope: Surviving the Fallout of Other People’s Choices

By Cynthia Ruchti

When I purchased Ragged Hope, I assumed that I’d be reading stories that might help me as I am challenged by the pitfalls from the poor choices of the people around me. I’ve been there. Most likely, we all have.  Instead, I learned how to better serve others who are in emotional, physical, and spiritual pain from the consequences of other people’s choices. The part of the book that I appreciated the most and prayed about even more, is the section after each story where she says, “If you know…”, where the author shares tips on ministering to those who need hope. I’ve never read a book like this that offers such good ideas on how to reach out to the hurting. Because her words brought the realities to life, I found myself praying for the people in the chapters.

Cynthia shares stories of tragedy, pain, and rebellion. More than that she reaches into the heart and examines how the person survived. I love how she reckoned hope to a baby’s blanket, where the satin edges were worn and tattered, yet the blanket brought comfort and hope.  Some stories brought tears while others called up empathy. But most of the testimonies sounded familiar. In fifty-six years, I’ve seen many of the same struggles and lived the same desperate cry for Jesus’ hope.

This is a must read for anyone who ministers to others and wants to offer the hope of Jesus to a hurting world. Every church and public library should have this book on the shelf.