My friend Tony (who blogs over at A Way With Words) gifted me with a copy of his book, Delight in Disorder: Ministry, Madness, Mission.  It is part-memoir, part-devotional, and entirely remarkable.

The book tells of Tony’s journey with bipolar disorder and God, and while I don’t have bipolar disorder, I do understand the darkness of mental illness … and the beauty of a sovereign savior.

Tony frames the book by walking us through his “home”– stories about his family in the “family room,” the devastating lows of a suicide attempt in the “basement,” etc.– and prefaces each short devotional thought with a quote from the Psalms.

From this book, I feel like I have a better understanding of bipolar disorder and a deepened appreciation for a God who pursues his people. I related to so many of Tony’s experiences, and thought the book gave a fair treatment to the church, which sometimes hurts its mentally ill members in such harmful ways but also sometimes so beautifully reflects the flabbergasting self-sacrifice and kindness of Christ. The writing is honest, humble, and vulnerable without ever feeling self-indulgent.

I recommend this book to Christians who are struggling with a mental illness– and to the people who love them.

Delight in Disorder: Ministry, Madness, Mission can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.