Dancing in the Valley - by Rose Booth (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In her book, Dancing in the Valley: Finding Life and Joy Amidst the Shadow of Death Nipping at My Heels, Rose Booth shares how she wrestled with her faith going from a Christian Pollyanna to a battered warrior. Facing death throughout her life - and three times in two and a half years - Rose gained a new perspective on eternal life and her purpose here on earth.

Rose Booth's life was a miracle from the start. Born to a couple who waited eighteen years for a child, she was always told she was a miracle. Her parents had three miscarriages and lost a premature son before Rose was conceived. In a way, her brother's life sacrificed gave her the chance for life. As she grew up, health challenges became evident that were deemed undiagnosable, yet she persevered in life, learning to adapt. In 1972, her family was in a horrific car accident that should have taken their lives. Instead, this miraculous survival was used to draw Rose to Christ. She realized at that moment she should have died and, had that happened, she would be separated from her parents, and most especially God. Facing death allowed her to see her need for a Savior that gives eternal life.

Her life took a drastic turn in November 2019. In severe pain, she headed to the ER and began a health journey lasting more than two years. Rose spent months in hospitals and rehabs battling her health and wrestling with her faith. Through this journey, she faced death three times: fighting a septic infection, enduring a heart attack, and coding as her body began to shut down. Taking each step of this journey caused her faith to falter, yet she battled forward. Rose remained resilient even though she wondered where God was in the midst of her suffering. Fourteen surgeries, two heart catheterizations, and more than a year in hospitals and rehabs, Rose was still surviving.

Now living life as an amputee, she has a renewed perspective on life. Reading her story will shine a light on how to see God when He's silent, and continue to follow God even when the outcome of circumstances is not what was expected.

Review Quotes

"Prolonged suffering can break or make a person. By the strength that only God provides, Rose Booth has allowed God to use suffering to make her into the kind of woman we read about in her life story. Far from allowing her suffering to define her, she uses her suffering to tell the wonderful story of gospel transformation. Read this story, be challenged and encouraged to trust in God more fully and follow Him more faithfully."

• Dr. Bill Cook, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Lead Pastor, The Ninth & O Baptist Church; Author of Victory Over the Enemy

"Rose Booth is a shining example of godliness and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. This book is but one more evidence of this truth. Rose has experienced wonderful blessings in her life, but she has also faced and endured many challenges and continues to do so. Her winsome spirit, authentic concern for others, and deep insights pertaining to life serve as words of wisdom and encouragement to everyone who desires to live a life that glorifies Christ in every season of life. Furthermore, Rose's story is an invitation to others to experience the same joy and security she has because of her faith in Christ."

• Dr. T.J. Betts, Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of How to Teach the Old Testament to Christians