Book Review: Plan B by Pete Wilson

It’s one of life’s little ironies that my reading of “Plan B” by Pete Wilson was interrupted by an uptick in symptoms from a chronic life-threatening illness. “What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought He would?” (the subtitle of the book) is a great question to consider when you’re in an infusion clinic waiting for the IV to finish running. Yeah, I’m living “Plan B.”

I have to confess that I approached “Plan B” with an arms-crossed, show-me attitude. Still in the midst of an 18-month (so far) journey that’s involved (so far) betrayal, rejection, unemployment, financial collapse, life-threatening illness, chronic pain, disability, and adjusting to dependency on my care-giving wife and friends, I was curious what Wilson could offer that some well-meaning Pollyanna hadn’t said already.

So let me say that Wilson gets it right at every turn. “Plan B” is the product of a heart informed by a deep faith in God and tempered by a committed pastor’s exposure to real life. No empty platitudes or cheesy slogans here, Wilson writes about reliance on who God really is, as revealed in the Bible and 21st Century experience.

Wilson’s “Plan B” isn’t your typical sugar-coated “Kumbaya, My Lord,” better-by-and-by advice book. Wilson quickly and repeatedly points out that most often what really causes us to question God is a matter of timing or method or some other choice of details. Here God is God – the loving, just, Almighty, All-powerful, King of the Universe. And I’m not.

Peppered with anecdotes drawn from some of life’s hardest questions – the one’s that inspire the roughest “Where is God now?” moments – Wilson provides an always relevant and extremely honest practical book that goes beyond mere happy thoughts to answer the “but what do I do now?” that lingers over every “Plan B.”

Oh, and Wilson’s book didn’t seem at all out of place in the infusion clinic. It stood up even there – which makes me confident that it’ll stand up for your “Plan B” as well. Get this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”