"Unshaken" Book Review

This past week, I read a very gripping book called “Unshaken” by Dan Woolley. It took me exactly 1 week to read it, and that doesn’t happen very often with my schedule! Dan Woolley works with Compassion International and was in Haiti on January 12, 2010, the day when a 7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince.

Just minutes before the quake, Woolley walked into the Hotel Montana lobby. Within the first 3 seconds of the quake, all 6 floors of the hotel collapsed on him. Buried beneath the rubble for almost 3 days with a broken leg and serious lacerations on his head and leg, this book shares his story of survival and trust in God.

Woolley shares in the book how he had let his relationship with God as well as his relationship with his wife suffer over several years. As he faced death in the pits of the Hotel Montana, he cried out to God and resolved to live his life fully (John 10:10) and to cherish the relationships God had given him.

I love reading books that cause me to ponder my own life and to ask myself questions. I’m sure if you’ve read some of my other book reviews you will notice this common theme. J After reading “Unshaken,” I came away with some of the following thoughts:

*Am I living my life in a way I would regret if I knew that my death would come about soon? Would it take an earthquake or other such tragedy to bring me to that realization? Shouldn’t I change that now while I have the chance?*

*Am I using the resources God has given me to help others who are in need, like the people of Haiti? Or am I selfishly holding back those resources even though all of my needs have been met?*

*Do I fully trust that God’s plans for me are perfect and pleasing to Him? Do I trust that whatever happens to me is part of His will and that He has a purpose for it?*

*Is my faith strong enough to withstand the “earthquakes” in my spiritual life?*

This book has challenged me in many ways to think about my spiritual growth and trust in God. I would definitely recommend this book, but to older readers. I would probably say high school aged and up. I say that because the book does deal with a terrible tragedy and the author does describe his story honestly, including his injuries, how he questioned God at times, and the tremendous disappointments experienced by the author during the quake and aftermath. I hope that if you read the book, it will challenge you to ask questions about the depth of your relationship with Christ. Is your faith strong enough to withstand tragedies and trials? Better yet, would those trials draw you closer to Him as they should?