But she begins the book with a story of her own, in which, at the age of 39, she overcame severe, persistent eye pain that caused her to become quite depressed. With her hopes dashed, message boards led her to seek out a final cornea specialist, Dr. Thomas Clinch of Eye Doctors of Washington.
The fact that she only came to see him immediately because he had a cancellation was another sign from God. Clinch himself was one of God’s messengers when he diagnosed her with a condition that other doctors had overlooked: map-dot fingerprint dystrophy, also known as Cogan’s dystrophy. This condition involves small erosive scratches on the surface of the cornea. The outer cornea sticks to the lower layers and begins to rub off, especially during deep sleep. Clinch’s treatment included Muro 128 ointment to use at night, eye drops and tear duct plugs to help her eyes retain moisture.
DR. MARC SIEGEL: MEDICAL MIRACLE OR MODERN SCIENCE? BOTH CAN BE SIGNS OF GOD AT WORK
Shannon Bream is one of the kindest, most genuine, humble yet intelligent presenters, authors and lawyers you could ever meet. Her gratitude to God for her regained life after her successful treatment is palpable. It also leads directly into the stories in this important book, where her strong faith motivates her to seek out and explore the Biblical heroes who inspire her most.
She has an important take on Moses, a story that began “with a bold, courageous mother who defied the law of the day that required all Hebrew male infants to be thrown into the Nile River—certain death.”
Of course, Moses’ mother and the midwives did not agree. He was hidden and then placed in a basket, which the Pharaoh’s daughter famously found, and he later became her adopted son. But as Bream notes, he never lost touch with his own people, killing an Egyptian for defeating a Hebrew.
When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, who became a fugitive. Shannon’s analysis of Moses’ life is filled with insight: “Moses was faithful and worked as a shepherd for his father-in-law. We see no grumbling about how wonderful life used to be in the palace, no daydreams about returning to the life of a prince – just the methodical work of a dutiful man. God can and will show up when you are at work, whether or not you think anyone else is aware of your diligence.”
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Here Bream refers to the burning bush, and as she does throughout the book, she quotes from the Bible: ‘God called out to him from the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here am I.'” (Exodus 3:1-4)
“I am almost 100 percent certain that I would not have had such a calm response,” Bream writes, combining her personal irony with reverence for Scripture, as she does throughout the book. She does it again with the Exodus itself, writing, “But the Lord had a plan unlike any other rebellion in history. It would start with what any strategist would tell you was a terrible mistake: letting your enemy know you’re coming.”
As God said to Moses, “So go now. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10)
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When it comes to her chapter on Joseph in Genesis, Bream again personalizes a portion of the Bible. When his brothers (who kidnapped him and sold him into slavery) came to visit Egypt to get grain during the legendary famine, they did not recognize him.
Bream describes Joseph’s crying because he naturally understood what his brothers were saying in Hebrew, despite using an interpreter and speaking Egyptian as his primary language to maintain his disguise. And despite Joseph’s distrust and hurt, he still treated them with chesed (loving-kindness). But their own guilty conscience made Joseph’s kindness appear sinister.
And we quote Genesis 42:28: “Their hearts sank, and they turned to one another, trembling, and said, ‘What is this that God has done to us?’”
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Above all, Shannon Bream preserves the meaning of the Bible as the great story that it is, filled with inspiring heroes, leaders, and prophets.
Her own life of overcoming makes her the perfect person to write this compelling book.
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