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Forgiving God: A Woman's Struggle to Understand When God Answers No

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If you have lost a child to a home accident, this book may help you deal with your grief and understand that you are not alone.

Carla McClafferty's son Corey had fallen out of a swing at home and ended up dying. She shares her disbelief, the agony of the hospital stay and her anger in God for not answering her prayers to save her child.

This is a really emotional book that will bring tears to anyone's eyes. If you know someone who has lost a child and want to help, but don't fully understand the pain of that loss, consider purchasing this book!

Our lives are filled with the unexpected. It happened one unforgettable Thanksgiving for Carla McClafferty. Her parents had arrived and were playing with her three children in the backyard. Suddenly her mother carried in Corey at 14 months. He had fallen off the swing. The church and family were mobilized to pray and the doctors worked hard to administer the best medical care. And God answered no and carried Corey to heaven.

Readers will live the vivid experience through the moving details in this book. As often happens in these situations, after the experience, Carla encountered the questions. She writes in Chapter 11, "Over and over I wondered why God didn't answer my prayers to save Corey's life. Didn't He hear me? Was He too busy to listen? Didn't He care that my son was dying? Was it an accident that God had no control over? Did God take the life of my child as a punishment for some sin? What kind of God would take an innocent child's life as a punishment?"

The questions are there and to be faced--and Carla leads the reader to the gentle answer, "If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can walk through this storm of grief and sorrow my life had become. With Jesus, I can stay above the churning sea of doubt and uncertainty." (p. 92-93)

The combination of personal story and comforting Scriptures make this book a must-read for anyone who is questioning God.

I purchased this book not long after my 18 month old grandson died by accidental drowning on 04/26/2003. I picked it up many times over the past year. It wasn't until my trip to visit my son and daughter-in-law for the anniversary of our loss in April 2004, that I was able to complete the book from cover to cover. Now, anyone that has seen this book will know that it is probably the smallest paperback book with the largest print that they've ever seen. You pick it up and wonder why in the world would it take so long to read such a small book? The words are so heart wrenching. As I was on the airplane I was reading this book and the tears were flowing ever so freely. By the time I reached my destination, I had a smile on my face and it all made sense to me. God didn't take my grandson from me. He was just there to welcome him into heaven when he arrived. God made us one and all. Who am I to question the Almighty One?

Please disregard the negative review below. God can say, "No" and He does. Look at Paul. Paul had a burden that he talks of. He had an affliction as he called it and was never healed of it. Look at Job and on and on. As far as "Forgiving God", please don't let that put you off as the author doesn't go into anything in the book about how she "Forgave God". Instead in the end, she comes to God on her knees and she is reunited with Him. The book is excellent. Straightforward and to the point. It brought tears to my eyes because I also lost a son when he was a newborn and it was like reading my life story over again. Her faith is strong and I learned much from her book!! Thanks, Carla!!

I personally do not believe that it was God who told the author "NO". Did Jesus ever tell someone "NO!" when they asked for healing? I can't find it in the Bible anywhere. I actually find it quite offensive that the author would even mention that God was in any way responsible for the death of her child. Yes, her child is right now in God's presence, but it was not God who "took" this child from her.

God is a good God. He's not the one responsible for the horrible things that happen in our lives. He is NOT "taking" babies from people, causing hurricanes, or "allowing" people to have cancer for a "reason". That stuff is caused by the fall of man and satan himself.

James 1:13
"Let no man say when he is tempted [tested or tried] that he is tempted [tested or tried] by God.."


Why would you need to forgive the God who is perfect and has never done anything wrong?