Book Review: Now I See

Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy
Janet Perez Eckles
JC Empowerment Ministries

“I see,” said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

My grandmother used to say that when she wanted to let us know she understood something. Even as a youngster, I loved the play on words.

It’s an idiom that could apply to Janet Perez Eckles.

Janet’s book, Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Transforms the Deepest Pain to Shining Joy, is a beautiful memoir detailing her remarkable journey from a childhood in poverty in Bolivia to a successful career as an interpreter and then a multi-book author, inspirational speaker, radio host, and founder of JC Empowerment Ministries.

Robbed of her sight at the age of 30 by a genetic retinal disease, Janet was determined to be the wife and mother her husband and three young sons needed. She found the strength to do that through a newfound relationship with Jesus Christ and faith in God’s grace and goodness.

Essentially, though she was totally blind, she picked up her hammer and saw.

A book focused on her triumphs would have been good—there are, after all, many of them and they are impressive. But Janet takes it several steps beyond by sharing her own mistakes and failures, her fears and doubts, and even the times she questioned God. She candidly discusses her first husband’s infidelity and how they healed their marriage, only to have it end decades later. She talks about the pain of losing her youngest son to murder and then seeing his killer acquitted. Through it all, she weaves in her faith walk and how her relationship with Jesus Christ began and grew into an international ministry.

We’ve all been through rough times, we’ve all overcome hardships, and Janet doesn’t try to make it a competition. Instead, with delightful imagery, openness, and a sense of humor, she inspires and encourages readers to let God restore and heal their lives.