Each month, you’ll hear from one of us on what we’re reading and a little bit about the book. This month we’re sharing book notes on Alexandra V. Hoover’s, Eyes Up. Enjoy!
“Where were you, God?”
It’s a question you mutter under your breath when you receive a phone call from a friend who tells you she miscarried the baby she’s been carrying for twenty-two weeks. It’s something you wonder when a family member suddenly passes from sickness, leaving a widow and daughter without a father. And it’s something you question as you watch the five o’clock news in the evening as an earthquake leaves thousands without homes and families without resources.
“Where were you, God?”
Alexandra Hoover addresses the question that you and I may not have the desire to verbalize. We know God is good, but we may grapple with the mystery of God’s sovereignty and the consequences of a sinful world. We know God loves us, but we don’t feel very loved when we’re facing the unthinkable.
We aren’t the only ones who have faced tragedy. In the first chapter of Eyes Up, we learn about Samuel from the Bible. Samuel was set apart by God to serve the nation of Israel as both a judge and prophet. He grew up (literally) in the house of the Lord, under the leadership of the priest, Eli. He knew God was powerful, righteous, merciful, holy, and had known him his whole life. Yet Samuel also knew how wicked the world could be. During Samuel’s time as a judge, the Philistines were continually at war with the people of Israel. Sometimes the Israelites won, but many times they lost—and in one of those losses, the Philistines stole the ark of the covenant, which was a tangible sign of God’s power and presence.
Eventually, the Philistines returned the ark of the covenant, and Samuel continued to be faithful to the Lord. As the Israelites prepared to go into another battle, Samuel challenged the Israelites to give up their idols and seek the Lord only. The people of Israel then finally looked up to God and confessed their sins—just as the Philistines attacked. At that moment, the Lord caused the Israelites to defeat their enemies. (Note: if you have time to read 1 Samuel today, do it!)
After the battle, Samuel erected a monument and named it Ebenezer. “Ebenezer means stone of help. And by erecting it in front of the people, Samuel invites his people to the simple yet powerful choice of remembering. From then on, every time an Israelite saw the stone set up by Samuel, he would have a tangible reminder of the Lord’s power and protection.”1
Following Samuel’s example, the author of Eyes Up shares her personal Ebenezer moments—times that God met with her and revealed Himself. With each chapter, Alexandra reveals a little bit more of her story. Through her traumatic childhood, lost dreams, and a marriage that felt like it was at a breaking point, God was with her. It didn’t mean she didn’t feel pain or disappointment. She felt the sting of rejection and heartbreak like anyone does. She discovered, though, that each of these moments leads to an Ebenezer: a time God revealed Himself.
As I read Alexandra’s words, I reflected on my own journey with God and the times God has met me. Within the past year, a family member passed away, and I questioned why God didn’t intervene. I wondered why God didn’t heal him. While I knew God was good, my heart felt heavy, and I struggled to truly believe He was still good. In those moments of pain and sorrow, I found myself looking back and remembering His faithfulness and goodness. It didn’t mean the pain I was feeling wasn’t real; however, it comforted me to remember that the God who had walked with me this far is still the God of the universe. And instead of “wondering if God is good, or present, or here” I was able to “live from the resolve that He is.”2
For any woman in Christ who has wondered if God is good or whether He really has your best interest at heart, know that God loves you—specifically you. Whether you are married, single, widowed, a new believer, or someone who just opened a Bible for the first time, I encourage you to read Eyes Up and begin to trust in God’s heart by reflecting on the past and then look up at the glory of the Father because the truth is that God was there. He is always there.
Megan Kyle works as a member of the finance team alongside Lifeway Women to bring their creative dreams to life. While she spends most of her day working on the business side of ministry, she loves serving and being the hands and feet of Jesus in the local community.
1. Alexandra Hoover, Eyes Up (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2022), 18.
2. Ibid., 203.
