We Did It!
Journey From Pain to Purpose
Shelley Todorovitch presents a unique perspective on a serious health issue. Her husband Jim has type 1 diabetes and has encountered various health-related problems. We Did It! is a first person account of the trials and joys they experienced through Jim’s illness.
The book is divided into thirteen chapters not including the introduction. Since the book is only 106 pages long each chapter is relatively short. However each chapter is packed with many Biblical scriptures and examples of what the author calls “answers to prayer.” Some of the chapter titles are: “Seeing the Big Picture” “Rewards for Enduring” and “O Lord in the Morning.”
In the Introduction the author recalls a time when she was praying and reflecting on what had transpired during the previous two years. In her prayer she began to say“ WE DID IT! You promised we believed and you fulfilled.“ Thus the author found the title for the book. Shelley gives background information concerning her husband’s illness and shows what he had gone through from an early age. The author and her husband and family moved from Northern California to Southern California so that Jim could have a better chance at a new kidney. Through a physical examination Jim was informed that he also needed a new pancreas. By May of 2006 Jim had received a new kidney from Shelley. Then by September 2006 Jim also had received a new pancreas. We Did It! is more about the journey the author and her family travels than about Jim’s health and subsequent surgeries. One example of their journey concerns one of the nights Jim was in the hospital. Various “ministers” such as the woman who brought a basket full of snacks and twenty CDs of preaching messages came to see Jim. Many examples of such generosity are given.
The major weakness of the book is that the author assumes that the reader has a background in the Judeo-Christian religion and is well versed in Biblical scripture.
No indication as to which version of the Bible the scriptures are gleaned is one of the drawbacks to the work. Also some of the scriptures begin in the middle and are paraphrased. For example “(Acts 2:42) and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers.” If the reader is not familiar with Christian scripture then there could be some confusion.
We Did It! is an easy-to-read book for an audience well-versed in Christian scripture. Not meant to be a deep theological work it succeeds as a first person account of a family crisis.
Reviewed by
Susan Burks
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
