Review of The Grumble-Free Year by Tricia Goyer
The Grumble-Free Year: Twelve Months, Eleven Family Members, and One Impossible Goal is the story of the Goyer family and the unthinkable challenge they decided to take on. They determined enough was enough when it came to all forms of complaining, arguing, and grumbling. Something had to be done about it!
Who doesn’t dream of a household of children who don’t grumble? I know I do! I read this book in hopeful anticipation of seeing if this goal really was attainable and possibly glean a few tricks along the way. What I found was a real, everyday family with everyday struggles. The Goyer’s life isn’t Pinterest perfect, and Tricia doesn’t photoshop the details. I found that I could relate to her and her family and I connected with her as she strove for the godly goal of thankful hearts.
As a homeschool mom, Tricia decided to introduce the challenge with the beginning of the school year. She started with talking about what grumbling meant, the different ways they each grumble, and assigned a scripture memory verse. She also planned several other memory verses, bible lessons, and activities throughout the year to aid in the process. Creating this lofty goal wasn’t like pushing a magic button, however, as attitudes didn’t automatically change. A heart change, they learned, takes the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Those things she couldn’t plan were the circumstances that God brought into their lives to help foster the heart change. “Where God really worked,” Tricia said, “was when I came to the end of myself…Grumbling was ultimately a heart issue. A heart issue only God could fix.” The lessons she and her family learned about God, faith, and attitude were better than she could have ever imagined.
I highly recommend this book. I learned a lot about the source of grumbling, not only in my home, but also in my own heart. Tricia’s story encouraged me to seek God for ways to clear the grumbling from my life as well. She helps others find the solutions for their homes by providing “reflection questions” and “your turn” ideas at the end of each chapter to help make the goal actionable. Here’s to many more homes with grumble-free years!
I received this book early in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
