Until this year I had not been a fan of audiobooks. I am a visual learner and so many times I felt like my mind would drift during audiobooks and I would not truly grasp the content. I also love to underline and reflect on the books I read. This year I tried again, but with books more aimed at entertainment rather than life change.
My second audiobook was the autobiography of Joanna Gaines. I realized then that autobiographies were good listening books for me. That is when a friend asked me if I had read Beth Moore’s autobiography. I quickly went to my Hoopla app and downloaded, “All My Knotted-Up Life.” I had grown up with the Beth Moore studies, Beth Moore conferences, and Beth Moore books. She was a staple in the Southern Baptist women community. I had worked with her through many books of the Bible and knew all the hand motions to “I’m Believing God.” I even knew that at the end of every conference she was going to have us awkwardly look at the lady next to us and hold her hands and speak words of affirmation. (As you can tell…that was not my jam.)
About five-teen years ago, Beth got in the hot seat. Twitter blew up. All I knew was the small tidbits I would hear from various sources. There were political comments and then theological comments. And then lots of Southern Baptist convention comments. All these comments brought a variety of perspectives.
So, when I heard that Beth had penned her autobiography, I was thankful to hear her story. And I was even more thankful to hear it through her southern accent. When I tell you that I laughed out loud, cried, felt grief, and maybe even snorted a few times, I am putting it lightly. I got to listen to her describe her grandmother’s arm fat and her unfortunate childhood trauma. I got to listen as she described the hurt of separating from the only denomination she had ever known and desperately longed to find another place of acceptance. I got to hear the struggles of her marriage and the faithfulness of a loving God.
I highly suggest you read this book. No, I take that back. I highly suggest you listen to this book. I don’t think it would have been the same had I not heard her tone, laughter, and accent. Her story is one of triumph, struggle, obedience, and grace. Her story allows us to see how hurt and trauma can impact a life for generations and how God is the key to untangling our knotted-up life.
