Learning to See When the Lights Go Out

On a warm summer evening, Chuck Betters stood at his back gate, breathing in the scent of freshly cut grass and watching the sunset paint the sky. Surrounded by beauty and flooded with priceless memories, he reflected on life's hard places - his wife's battle with breast cancer, his own struggle with depression - and thanked God for the joy of leading a faithful congregation. In that quiet moment, it felt as though God had given him a glimpse of heaven.

He didn't know that a darkness unlike any he had ever faced was about to descend - one that would call into question every sermon he had preached, every truth he had proclaimed, and every word of hope he had held dear.

Just days later, the phone rang with words no parent ever wants to hear: "Your son has been in an accident. You need to come now."

The foundation of this book is built upon the sermons Chuck preached in the weeks following the death of his son, Mark. In these pages, he invites readers to walk with him down the road of grief as he wrestles to reconcile God's love with God's sovereignty.