Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes To God
Kay Warren, Dangerous Surrender: What Happens When You Say Yes To God (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 255 pages, ISBN 0310258901.
Kay Warren is the wife of pastor and author Rick Warren. This book may never sell as many copies as her husband’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, but it is most certainly a very significant book. I confess that I am not a person who reads for pleasure, that is, I do not read to relax or because I enjoy the practice of reading, but I could not put this book down. The author’s brutal honesty about her fears, sense of inadequacy, questions and struggles makes this book quite compelling. Warren writes things that many of us think, but would probably never say out loud.
On the inside flap of the front cover of the book it says, “You have a plan for the rest of your life. God has a plan for the rest of your life. Are they the same?” That is a thought-provoking question and it sets the stage for the rest of the book. Kay Warren is the wife of a very successful pastor. She thought that she and her husband would probably spend their later years traveling around the world encouraging ministry couples, but God had other plans.
In 2002, through a magazine article, she became aware of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. God gripped her heart with the statistics and the photos. After reading that article she began to notice information about AIDS everywhere. She felt that God wanted her to do something about it, but she did not know what. She said to God, “Why are you bothering me with this? There is nothing I can do about it. I’m just an ordinary person.” She agonized over this for a month. She then came to the place of decision; could she go back into her comfortable life and pretend that the AIDS epidemic was not happening? She could not; she said “yes” to the call of God. When she did this she said that her heart was broken and that she was shattered. This set her on the course of becoming an activist raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.
Reaching the place of surrender was only the beginning of her struggles. Once she began working in this area she was diagnosed with cancer. This raised questions in her mind as to why this was happening since she was obeying the Lord in what He had asked her to do. She had surgery, as well as radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She pressed through that experience. Later she found that she once again had cancer. She persevered through this also. One of the great things about this book is the author’s ability to look at circumstances redemptively. She is able to see how some of the difficult situations in her life were used by the Lord to make her a more compassionate, effective minister for Him.
The book chronicles her journey as she got involved in the HIV/AIDS issue. It tells of her travels, her observations and her thoughts. A word of caution: if you do not want to be challenged or do not want to be moved, do not read this book.
Dangerous Surrender is a story of surrender, courage and perseverance. It is a book that challenges us. Will we do what God wants or will we do what is easy? Kay Warren urges us not to “turn the page,” that is, not go on with life ignoring the sufferings of our world and the things that the Lord is calling us to. She encourages us to be “dangerously disturbed” and “gloriously ruined.” Whether you feel as though God is calling you to an AIDS related ministry or not, this book is a must read. I recommend it without reservation.
Reviewed by John P. Lathrop
