WAITING FOR GOOD NEWS

Support and wisdom when serious illness strikes

Sally Wilke gets it. She has lived with and through the serious chronic illness of someone she cared deeply about. And she has provided pastoral care to individuals and families in similar situations. Waiting for Good News captures her hard-won, helpful, and hope-filled wisdom.

Wilke organizes this book around seven questions that those who face serious illness often ask. From "What Is the Diagnosis" to "Where Do I Find More Help?" she accompanies readers on their own journey.

The heart of the book is the stories--Wilke's own, those of others who have struggled with severe illness, and accounts from the Bible. Here, readers will find strength, support, and a way forward in a difficult situation.

As practical as she is wise, Wilke offers tools, tips, ideas, and resources for reflection and for obtaining additional support. Chapters conclude with questions that may be used for personal reflection and discussion with family members, patients, and support groups.

Clergy, other pastoral-care providers, and family and friends of those who struggle with serious illness will find examples and helpful practices to guide their efforts as they partner with those seeking to find their way.

"In Waiting for Good News, Sally L. Wilke gathers together the stories and experiences of caregivers facing chronic illnesses of loved ones--children, husbands, fathers, mothers, and friends. Each chapter focuses on specific interdependent issues in caregiving: diagnosis, what caregivers feel and experience, the challenges caregivers and patients face, a parentÂs response to a chronically ill child, issues of control and what needs to be done, and where caregivers can find help. An excellent and important book that needs to be in the libraries every pastor, healthcare giver, or person facing a chronic illness and their care givers." -- Dr. Paul O. Ingram, Professor Emeritus of Religion, Pacific Lutheran University

"Both informative and compelling, Waiting for Good News by Sally L. Wilke invites deep involvement. Her experiences of living with chronic illness in several contexts and her weaving together of others' stories produce a moving backdrop to engage the reader. Her approach to integrating narrative, medical information, psychological and systemic processes, practical wisdom, and spiritual tools is masterful. Down-to-earth and rich with shared vulnerability, this volume will help pastors, caregivers, and especially people who are living with or caring for those with chronic conditions. Wilke teaches us the importance of honoring grief, learning to ask for help, and discovering God's presence in the midst of it all." --Rev. Dr. John Beck, co-pastor, Pointe of Grace Lutheran Church, Mukilteo, WA