Book Description
40 Ride-Along Reflections for the Detours You Didn’t Choose
Hope after life veers hard into suffering.
Life ruptures. A body breaks. A diagnosis comes. A chronic illness descends. A person leaves. A church wounds. A secret surfaces. No one hands you a map for what comes next.
Jane knows the after.
A car/pedestrian collision threw her within minutes of death. In Merge, Jane writes from the raw, strange territory that follows impact—the fear, distress, doubt, exhaustion, and loneliness that don’t fit neatly into prayer requests or recovery plans.
Each stand-alone reading offers one honest thought for a hard day: space to breathe, a poetic word of encouragement as if Jesus were speaking to you, and a Maybe Today invitation to consider how hope might look now.
Vulnerable and resilient, Merge gives your heart and soul permission to tell the truth while looking around for where your faith landed.
Not a workbook. Not a formula. Not a promise that healing will arrive on schedule. Compassion for today. A friend-moment for the road. A gentle invitation to bring the whole truth to God.
“Wisdom that only comes from being willing to walk through the wreckage . . . a gritty, honest, and deeply necessary look at how we find our way back to wholeness.”
—David T. Kotek, Firefighter/Paramedic who escorted Jane to the ER
- "Takes you beyond the psychology of recovery . . . . A companion and guide for one of life's most challenging journeys of recovery." Thomas G. Suk, PhD, LMFT, LCPC
- "A gritty, honest, and deeply necessary look at how we find our way back to wholeness."David T. Kotek, the Firefighter/Paramedic who climbed in with Jane to get her to the hospital
- "Rubietta's spiritual road map of readings and creative healing practices is a gift not only to the traumatized but also to those who accompany them on the road to recovery."Dr. Lallene J. Rechtor, President Emerita, Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary
- "Full of treasures for anyone healing from trauma. Each reading offers a different opportunity for growth in the midst of struggle. When the path feels hard, this resource could truly make a difference."Rev. Dr. Bob Campbell, LCP, Co-Director, Willow Wellness
- "Honest. Hopeful. Jane knows the reality of recovery and faith . . . Helpers, pastoral counselors, Stephen Ministers would benefit; they step into the world of faith and healing and learn how to walk alongside the suffering and healing." Rev. Dr. Cheri Magrini, United Methodist Clergy
- "A rare resource, written with the grit of experience and the grace of one who holds space for the 'both/and' of life."Gina Birkemeier, LPC
- "Through reflections, Scripture references, semi-poems, and physical exercise, Rubietta helps me understand that suffering and healing walk together, born from the same mother––Life." Fa. Michal Lewon, STB, M.Div BCC, Hospital Chaplain, University of Chicago Medicinel
- "Merge feels like a strong hug that is unshakable, like a friend that isn't afraid to say, 'This sucks.' The blessings at the end of each reading feel particularly lovely, reminding us that God is with us in suffering."the rev. abby mohaupt, phd, director of Garrett Collective
