Grieve, Breathe, Receive

Finding a Faith Strong Enough to Hold Us

By: Steve Carter

Narrated by: Steve Carter

Read by the author.

What do you do when your world seems to be falling down all around you? When loss is too much to bear? When disappointment becomes your new reality? Pastor Steve Carter is certain you’ll find hope and life through these three simple yet profound steps: Grieve. Breathe. Receive.

In 2018, in light of further misconduct allegations against Willow Creek Community Church founder and senior pastor Bill Hybels, Steve Carter announced publicly that he was resigning from his dream job as a lead pastor at that church. After posting his resignation online, he turned off all of his devices and began to weep on his wife's shoulder. The next morning as he was taking a walk to process all the thoughts and feelings tumbling around in his mind, he cried out to Jesus in desperation, begging for an answer. "What am I supposed to do now?" He expected nothing but the silence that had overwhelmed him since hitting send on his message to the world, but before he could take two steps, a gentle whisper impressed three words upon his heart: grieve, breathe, receive.

Those three words would become a profound mantra for Steve in the season he would soon begin—a season focused on healing. Deep healing. The kind that comes after painful trauma. In this book, Steve is more personal and vulnerable than he's ever been, and by doing so he encourages all of us to:

• Allow ourselves the necessary time and space to properly GRIEVE what is, what you thought it was going to be and how key people let you down rather than fill our days with activities and commitments that distract us.
• Slow down to BREATHE in God's grace, His peace, and His love . . . and to learn how to exhale all the negativity, pain, resentment, and bitterness we carry within us.
• Be open to RECEIVE all the lessons, surprises, and healing God knows we need for every part of us to be made whole.

This process of grieving, breathing, and receiving was a life-restoring gift from God for Steve and his family, and he is certain that it will bless anyone who prayerfully follows it.

Reflection questions can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Steve Carter (P)2023 Thomas Nelson

It's not an easy process

Moving through grief is not straightforward. It's a process that goes forward, backward, and sideways. But it’s a healing process that takes me to the place where I can breathe. And ultimately to the capacity to receive. This is an amazing portrayal of what the journey entails.
Steve’s life examples will guide me through the process. I will listen to it again to understand it better, and then again as I purposefully follow the steps to healing.

Heart on your sleeve

As someone that enjoys sports, I often find myself enamored with athletes that give their all while playing the sport they love. Joakim Noah stealing the ball from Paul Pierce in the 2009 playoffs. Kobe Bryant tearing his Achilles and getting up to shoot two free throws. These are the athletes that push past pain and adversity to reach their goal that moves them forward. “Grieve, Breathe, Receive” is a window into the heart of Steve Carter, someone who reminds me of these athletes I so admire, someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. Steve’s words shifted something within me to dig deeper at my intentions and take inventory of the processes of how I’ve forgiven in my past. GBR is a book that I believe will help those of us that have gone through grief, hurt, and loss in a way that is not only relatable, but in a way that’s honest and raw. Grateful that these words are being shared with the world.

Very relatable

If you are a believer and have struggled with any loss this book is for you.

AMAZING! Thank you Steve Carter! 👏👏

I am loving this book! I love hearing Steve preach and it is wonderful having him narrate this. I feel like I am hearing him preach while also hearing such private, meaningful, and also dark moments of this person's life. This person I have admired and learned so much from is a real person with stuff and life and life stuff and trauma. The way Steve dives into vulnerability is so beautiful. I love the way he reminds us so gently of God's hand in it all. I immediately felt less alone listening to this book. I am learning new tools. I am being validated and reminded of all of the progress I've made in my own grief journey so far. I highly recommend this book and appreciate the author so much for him sharing his gifts with us.

Heartfelt Journey & Hopeful Offering

It was a great delivery and a compelling story of pain and processing in a healthy manner.