Hang On, Let Go

Bestselling author Frank Viola writes a time-tested field guide to weathering the storms of life. Whether it's the loss of a job, a child who has gotten into serious trouble, a relationship that's in peril, or a loved one with a debilitating illness, at some point, something in our lives will strip us of all control. Life comes apart at the seams, and hope begins to evaporate. Hang On, Let Go was written from the pit of numerous soul-piercing adversities in Frank's own life. In this volume, he draws from the insights he gleaned from the Lord, friends, and writers during his darkest days. The wisdom contained in this volume became the bread and butter Frank relied on, helping him to be developed by his trials rather than destroyed by them. Each short chapter explores a different aspect of the storm: When You Need to Regrip, Walking in the Darkness, Abandoning Fix-It Mode, The Story in Our Head, Just Breathe, and much more. This book is about how to react to intense trials in your life with two seemingly contradictory impulses: hang on, let go.How is that possible? . . . Read on. Frank explores the how and the why in this highly practical, incisive, no-nonsense guidebook on how to thrive during the inevitable pitfalls of life.

1. Opening Credits
2. Introduction: Why You Need this Book
3. Part 1: When the Storm Hits | Chapter 1: Two Kinds of Problems
4. Chapter 2: A Delicious Irony
5. Chapter 3: Can You Relate?
6. Part 2: Hang On | Chapter 4: The Stages of Your Crisi
7. Chapter 5: The Day of Trouble
8. Chapter 6: : Reacting to Hurt the Wrong Way
9. Chapter 7: You Need Friends
10. Chapter 8: Intimacy with Jesus
11. Chapter 9: The Trial of Your Faith
12. Chapter 10: An Outrageous Roller Coaster
13. Chapter 11: When God Remains Anonymous
14. Chapter 12: The Hurricane Is on Its Way
15. Chapter 13: His History Is Our Destiny
16. Chapter 14: A Way Where There Is No Way
17. Chapter 15: Pleasure and Pain
18. Chapter 16: Just Hang On
19. Chapter 17: A Wrestling Match with an Angel
20. Chapter 18: Job’s Bitter Pill
21. Chapter 19: Paul and His Thorn
22. Chapter 20: An Imperfect Storm
23. Chapter 21: When You Need to Regrip
24. Chapter 22: Their Dark Nights End
25. Chapter 23: Embracing Loneliness
26. Chapter 24: God Is Near Nonetheless
27. Chapter 25: Stuck in a Holding Pattern
28. Chapter 26: The Uncertainty of the Cross
29. Chapter 27: Resurrection Territory
30. Part 3: Let Go | Chapter 28: The Art of Letting Go
31. Chapter 29: Giving Up vs. Letting Go
32. Chapter 30: The Fellowship of His Sufferings
33. Chapter 31: How to Survive Your Crisis
34. Chapter 32: Act as If
35. Chapter 33: Psalm 23 Remixed
36. Chapter 34: Outcome Independence
37. Chapter 35: A Titanic Discovery
38. Chapter 36: Passing Through Fire
39. Chapter 37: The Breaking of God
40. Chapter 38: Stay in Your Lane
41. Chapter 39: Tick Your Boxes
42. Chapter 40: Walking in the Darkness
43. Chapter 41: Forgiving Others
44. Chapter 42: Hurt People Hurt People
45. Chapter 43: God’s Pruning Shears
46. Chapter 44: Peace in the Storm
47. Chapter 45: Don’t Believe Everything You Think
48. Chapter 46: Cognitive Distortions
49. Chapter 47: Don’t Look at the Wall
50. Chapter 48: The Hidden Destroyer
51. Chapter 49: Staying Detached
52. Chapter 50: Abandoning Fix-It Mode
53. Chapter 51: When God Unhides Himself
54. Chapter 52: The Story in Our Head
55. Chapter 53: Be Still and Know
56. Chapter 54: Just Breathe
57. Chapter 55: Mountain Lion Energy
58. Chapter 56: God’s Waiting Room
59. Chapter 57: Blowing Hot and Cold
60. Chapter 58: The Tears God Keeps
61. Chapter 59: Encourage Yourself in the Lord
62. Chapter 60: Six Affirmations
63. Chapter 61: How to Outsource Your Worry
64. Chapter 62: A Wall of Reminders
65. Chapter 63: The Battle Is the Lord’s
66. Chapter 64: Do You Love Your Life?
67. Chapter 65: Making Jesus First
68. Chapter 66: The Real Pandemic They Don’t Want You to Know About
69. Chapter 67: Look Up, Not Down
70. Chapter 68: When God Delays
71. Chapter 69: Reframing Rejection
72. Chapter 70: Living in the End Result
73. Chapter 71: Take Nothing Personally
74. Chapter 72: A Recipe for the Desperate
75. Chapter 73: Stop This, Start That
76. Chapter 74: Notes to Myself (Excerpts from My Journal)
77. Chapter 75: The Pieces Are Alive
78. Chapter 76: Be Resilient
79. Chapter 77: Work on Yourself
80. Chapter 78: There’s No Fix-It Plan
81. Chapter 79: In the Good Hands of God
82. Chapter 80: Give Up Control
83. Part 4: As the Clouds Lift | Chapter 81: Invaluable Lessons
84. Chapter 82: The Outcome
85. Chapter 83: Calm, Cool, and Collected
86. Chapter 84: A Special Word to Christian Workers
87. Appendix 1: Who Brought Your Trial?
88. Appendix 2: Next Steps
89. Closing Credits