Larry Crabb describes how our shattered dreams may actually be God’s unexpected path to joy.  Crabb lays the foundation with three underlying principles:

1.  God wants to bless you

2.  The deepest pleasure we’re capable of experiencing is a direct encounter with God

3.  The Holy Spirit uses the pain of shattered dreams to help us discover our desire for God

Shattered Dreams looks at the life of Naomi from the book of Ruth as she faced her shattered dreams and ultimately came into a deeper relationship with God.  Crabb points out how “Our generation has lost the concept of finding joy in unfulfilled desire.  We no longer know what it means to hope.  We want what we want now” (p. 85). 

He challenges those who may be pursuing the American dream as he notes, “Satan’s masterpiece is not the prostitute or the skid-row bum.  It is the self-sufficient person who has made life comfortable, who is adjusting well to the world and truly likes living here, a person who dreams of no better place to live, who longs only to be a little better – and a little better off – than he already is” (p. 120).  Crabb challenges our false belief that our life can be pain free if we’re truly following God.

The edition of my book duplicated content from pages 135–137 onto pages 137-139.  My biggest frustration with the book; however, was Crabb’s interpretation of the wedding toast in Ruth chapter 4:11-12, “All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman." 

Crabb interprets these verses to fit his model rather than the author’s intended meaning.  He wonders if the elders who were making the toast were “hoping that Ruth, like Rachel, would be barren” . . . or that “Boaz (would) have kids through her servant girl” (p. 129).  He wonders if the elders making the toast were wishing that Ruth would “disguise herself as a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law and to bear a child by him?” (p. 130).  Crabb writes that it would be similar to my grandson’s dedication if I were to pray, “Lord, allow this child’s life to be messed up so You can do the good that can only be done through hard times” (p. 130).

I respectfully disagree with his interpretation of the elders’ intent of their blessing.  The reference to Rachel and Leah as the wives of Jacob makes sense as you consider that Ruth was barren in Moab (as Rachel was originally barren) and now will be the ancestor to the Messiah as were Rachel and Leah.  The reference to Perez is clearly understood since Boaz was a descendent of Perez (Ruth 4:18-21).  The reference to Tamar makes sense since she is one of the non-Israelite women mentioned in the genealogy of Matthew  (Matthew 1:3) as was Ruth.  Rather than giving a gloom and doom message it seems that the elders were giving a blessing to Boaz. 

Shattered Dreams gives you God’s perspective that God has a greater purpose for your life as you face broken dreams.  (I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review).