Every now and then when you least expect it a book finds you and has you reflecting about your Faith. For me Not that Wheel Jesus just took it. It was like sitting down with a brutally honest, hilarious friend who’s not afraid to say the things you’ve whispered in your prayers or maybe screamed into a pillow or even thought about.
Synopsis
From the bestselling author of Holy Hot Mess, a laugh-out-loud look at what happens when life goes a direction we didn’t expect and we are forced to reconsider the beliefs, assumptions, and stories that have always steered our course.
Mary Katherine Backstrom grew up the most basic of all youth group kids—pH level 14—and her faith only grew as she led youth ministry, served as a missionary, and went on to become a bestselling Christian author. She knew all the practiced, perfect Sunday school answers and was driving happily down the straight and narrow, until one day her young son asked a simple question: will my Jewish best friend go to hell?
In the months and years that followed, that single question continued to snowball. MK challenged and reconsidered every part of the faith she’d been raised to accept so completely. Not That Wheel, Jesus! is Mary Katherine’s hilarious journey from certainty to doubt to going nuclear on the socials (“it was my heresy era”), and then of slowly and painfully finding her way back to a different, less defined faith.
It’s the heartfelt and achingly honest story of a spirituality that went off the road and crashed and burned in spectacular fashion, right before God and everybody. And then, slowly, through grace and plenty of therapy, grew richer and deeper than she ever could have imagined.
It’s not neat. It’s not polished. But it’s real. And instead of writing a review I’ll be sharing 7 takeaways that hit me hard (in the best way) from this book
Faith can survive your questions
Reading about Mary Katherine wrestle out loud her beliefs gave me so much relief. Are you truly a believer if you don’t question your beliefs but this reminded me that God isn’t threatenedby my “what-ifs”.
I’ve come to understand even with my walk with God that Faith isn’t fragile and sometimes the most sacred and true thing is to ask the questions even if they’re scary.
Doubt isn’t the end
Sometimes you think you believe until something happens to shake your faith and then the doubt starts flowing in but Mary Katharine shows how it can be used as the first step toward building a faith that’s less about fear and more about Love
Laughter also belongs in the middle of mess
Not only did this book keep me reflecting it also had me laughing. That’s when it hit me: Joy and grief can exist side by side and sometimes all we can do is laugh at ourselves while we’re a little broken
You don’t have to walk this road alone
I’ve tried the “figure my faith in isolation” thing. Still am and let me tell you. It doesn’t work. I love that Mary Katherine highlights how community no matter how imperfect and messy they are, keeps us grounded even when we want to drift away completely.
Grace feels different when you hit rock bottom
There’s something about hitting rock bottom and Mary Katherine reminds us that grace isn’t about getting it right, it’s about being held together when everything’s falling apart. Then again there’s something about losing the faith formulas that makes grace hit different.
Brokenness doesn’t mean your done yet
One thing I loved about this book was how open Mary Katherine was about her marriage struggles,mental health and spiritual unraveling. It was like a mirror and really encouraging to stand in the wreckage and still say “God is not done with me yet”
Jesus is still the point
Through every detour and meltdown, Mary Katherine’s love for Jesus never wavered. That challenged me. At the core of it all, beyond the church politics and expectations, it really is about Him. Not the wheel, but the Driver.
Final Thought
If you’ve ever felt like your faith went off-road and you’re not sure if you’ll ever find your way back, this book is for you. Not That Wheel, Jesus! Gave me permission to question, to laugh, to cry, and to remember that God can handle every bit of my humanity.
Sometimes the road gets wild. Sometimes the wheels come off. But maybe that’s exactly where grace shows up.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to grow or has asked questions concerning their faith. Let this book be a reasonn to ask and seek the answers you find.
Get the book here
Let me know your thoughts when you read it
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