Bo Stern, author of "Beautiful Battlefields"

No one enjoys going through the struggles of this life, and no one enjoys suffering.
However, as author Bo Stern writes in Beautiful Battlefields , God uses our darkest moments to shape us into the people
He wants us to be. “Though we would rather avoid battles and suffering, God does some
of His most beautiful work through the hardest seasons in life. In fact, there are some things
that can only be accomplished in us through battle.”
While we struggle with certain things every day, Stern is convinced that everyone, at some
point on the journey between here and eternity, will be called upon to face what she calls
a “Really Big Battle,” whether it be emotional, physical, spiritual or relational. Like any of us,
Stern has faced numerous challenges in her life. However, in 2011, her family came face to
face with their Goliath when her husband was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou
Gehrig’s disease. The terminal diagnosis of a loved one can be enough to shake anyone’s faith, but Stern trusts
God is using this experience for something bigger.
Stern believes God will always bring beauty from each and every battle, but sometimes it takes looking at the
situation from a different perspective. It becomes necessary to look at what is happening through God’s
eternal lens in order to see that He is doing something very specific and wonderful. It could be He is trying to
develop a deeper dependence on Him or possibly create in us a compassionate heart toward others who are
hurting. Whatever His purpose may be, Stern firmly asserts that beauty comes from the battle.