Book Review: Beyond Ordinary

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If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that any couple–any person–is susceptible to having an affair.  I know you’re shaking your head and saying no way, not me but I’ve lived through the slippery slope from fairytale to a crowded marriage.  While I didn’t have a full-on physical affair, I can say with assurance that I do understand now how it happens—to anyone.

While it may be unforgettable, it is forgivable.  And that’s just what Justin and Trisha Davis proved several years ago after he lost his church and nearly his family because of an affair.

What I found out, though, is the affair is just a sliver of Justin and Trisha’s story. 

In Beyond Ordinary, Justin and Trisha take turns sharing their story, showing just how their marriage began to crumble and how God ultimately redeemed it.

Beyond Ordinary reads both like a novel and non-fiction book.  The first half of each chapter is spent telling another part of their story while the second half is spent on the applicable lessons from that part of their story.

I loved the layout of the book.  In so many non-fiction books, I find that the author tells their story up front and then spends the rest of the book teaching.  Slowly telling the story throughout the book kept Beyond Ordinary a page-turner.

It’s not just their story that shines.  The counsel they share on marriage is unequal to any I’ve read—anywhere.  They covered everything from expectations to forgiveness to withholding truth to porn with a candor I appreciated. I felt like I had my own marriage counseling couple in a book.

I know I was challenged—and still am challenged—by so much from Beyond Ordinary.  It truly is a handbook for showing you what to do when a good marriage just isn’t enough.

I can’t recommend Beyond Ordinary enough. 

To Justin and Trisha—thank you for showing God’s grace and forgiveness and sharing your story.