I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy

"This is a beautiful and tender book that would touch any woman's heart, no matter her age or realm of experience. It is about a relationship so intimate with God that it carves a safe place for crises of faith, for faith proved genuine and for divine callings willed, sealed and fulfilled. Yes, this is one mother's moving story. This one mother also happens to be a true writer. We will hear more from her. Angie, I am so proud of you. May Christ continue to tip the ink jar toward your gifted quill." - Beth Moore

Angie Smith is the wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Dove Award winning group Selah) and author of the popular blog entitled Bring the Rain. She holds a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology from Vanderbilt University and lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, Tennessee.

At the heart of the book is Angie’s story of the loss of Audrey Caroline, her newborn daughter, and the many stories surrounding that event. But interwoven with the story are Angie’s thoughtful reflections of the biblical story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. In digging deeply in the Lazarus story while she was carrying Audrey Caroline, Angie found the Lazarus story to be a story of terrible brokenness, perceived abandonment, and questioning. It’s a story that gave her permission to feel the depths of her pain. And even better than that, she found that the Lazarus story at its core is a story of a God who loves us fiercely and with purpose in everything. It is a story that leaves us with the desire to give all of ourselves to the Lord, who doesn’t need to make His ways known to us to be trustworthy. It made Angie fall in love with Jesus in a way that death itself could not shake.

I Will Carry You is a safe place of refuge in the wake of loss, narrated by a woman who has been there. Both intimate and biblical, it will have the feeling of sitting down with someone you have always known who can walk you through a beautiful Christ-given example of how to face tragedy. And as one trained in child psychology, Angie also guides readers toward not only their own healing but how to help their children heal during times of the loss of loved ones.

In I Will Carry You, Angie Smith is transparent about a heartbreaking season in her life. Smith receives the news that her precious baby girl, Audrey, won’t survive out of the womb. God uses Smith’s testimony to minister to others who are suffering from loss. Smith captivates her audience by sharing tender memories and being honest with her weaknesses and failures. The book comes with a short DVD testimonial given by Smith and her husband Todd. The book contains prayers, Scripture verses, personal testimonies, pictures, quotes, and some of the author’s past blog and journal entries. Smith frequently references the Gospel story of Lazarus’s death and resurrection to reinforce her thoughts (John 11: 1-43).

Smith does more than just weep for the loss of her child. She uses her master’s degree in developmental psychology to educate parents on how they should explain a child’s death to any siblings dealing with the loss. Smith has three young daughters who suffer along with her and a husband who also grieves. She approaches this subject with delicate hands and grace.

The most moving chapter is fifteen, wherein Smith writes a letter to her daughter Audrey. This intimate conversation prompts tear. Here is a quote from the letter: “He (God) somehow gave us an entire lifetime of memories in such a short time.” I would recommend this book to anyone struggling through loss or grief. You don’t have to be a mother or a parent to appreciate the lessons in this book. Smith’s simple words and sincere heart make this book a powerful text. I highly recommend this book. – Tamara Peachy, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com