A title recently came across my desk that made me stop in my tracks and to be honest, it’s a book you can’t afford to miss. It’s thoughtful, insightful, and beautifully written.
It’s called A Walking Disaster by Jamie Aten.
Jamie is a psychologist who specializes in helping people recover after disaster strikes. He founded the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College.
But what makes Jamie unique is that he doesn’t just research and write about disasters—which, by the way, are becoming more frequent in our world today—but he’s lived them.
Six days after moving to Mississippi, Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. More recently, Jamie endured a vicious battle with stage 4 Colon cancer. This is someone who has paid a heavy price and whose voice needs to be heard.
Some of his counterintuitive insights include: to find hope, be cautious of optimism; when you want help the least is when you need it most; and spiritual surren¬der, rather than a passive act, is instead an act of profound courage.
To fully experience the joy of the table, we have got to learn how to create a safe space for those who are suffering and also learn to discover God in the hard places.
In one of my favorite parts of the interview, Jamie teaches us what to look for when everything seems lost.
So pull up a chair at our table. You don’t want to miss this interview.
{You can listen to the show HERE, and make sure you never miss The Joycast– subscribe using your favorite podcast app (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play) And of course, I would love if you would share with your friends!}
CONNECT WITH JAMIE
Jamie’s Website // LinkedIn // Facebook // Twitter
(Use these links to reach out to Jamie!)
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Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg
SHOW NOTES
Jamie’s books: A Walking Disaster
RECIPES FROM THE SHOW
Grilled Coffee Rubbed Steak
I use Chicago based recording engineer Steve Albini’s approved Midyett Rub recipe. Not only does Albini know his way around the studio-having worked on classic recordings by groups like Nirvana-but also around grill.
I always use Chicago roasters Intelligentsia’s Black Cat espresso. I actually choose my meeting locations based on who serves Intelligentisa coffee, and once you’ve tried it, I’m confident you’ll always choose it for steaks : )
Midyett Rub
INGREDIENTS
2 parts good sea salt
1 part black pepper
1/4-1/2 part sumac
1/3-1/2 part ground coffee
1/4-1/2 part garlic powder
1/4-1/2 part cocoa powder
Special equipment: Spice grinder.
Ingredient info: Sumac is widely available at Middle Eastern grocery stores and spice specialty stores (order it from the Chicago-area Spice House chain here). For the pepper, Midyett tries to use freshly ground Tellicherry; for the coffee, he recommends a darker roast, such as Intelligentsia’s Black Cat espresso.
PREPARATION
Combine ingredients and grind as fine as possible. Coat the meat entirely with the resulting blend before cooking.
Thank you to both Jaimie and Margaret for your interview/conversation on the topic of suffering. I know of a woman who lives down the street from me who has just had a double mastectomy and will be undergoing chemotherapy. I want to reach out to this lady during this season of her life. As I listened to both of you I found that I have some tools as I reach out and display love and care.
Lalalove that you are compelled to action! May you both be blessed in this process and may your neighbor feel so loved. Huge hugs!!