📞 Call Us On (0)333 123 0880
📦 Free Delivery for Orders over £25
UK

This Was Never the Plan

Walking with God Through the Heartache of Divorce

4.789473684210526315789473684 stars  from 10 reviews
£8.49 £9.99 15% OFF

Bulk Deals

10+ copies 30% off £7.00 each
25+ copies 40% off £6.00 each
50+ copies 50% off £5.00 each

Discounts applied automatically in your basket.

Free eBook included with the paperback

When you make the purchase, links to your ebook files (EPUB, MOBI and PDF) will be emailed to you immediately. We will ship the paperback to the shipping address given.

About this book

Divorce brings a storm of emotions—grief, anger, confusion and shame. Yet while the ache lingers, life goes on.

Vaneetha Risner has walked through this pain. In this hopeful and honest book, she draws from Scripture and her own story to offer compassionate wisdom on...

  • Finding emotional clarity and letting go of shame
  • Trusting God in the uncertainties ahead
  • Healing relationally, resisting bitterness and finding community
Read more

Specifications

Contributors:
Vaneetha Rendall Risner, Paul David Tripp
ISBN:
9781802544145
Format:
Paperback
First published:
April 2026
Dimensions:
135mm x 216mm x 13mm
Weight:
0.24 kg
Print size:
11.0pt
Language:
English
Pages:
192
Publisher:
The Good Book Company

Contents

Foreword by Paul David Tripp

  1. The Undoing
  2. Tears, Fears, and the Tenderness of God
  3. Letting Go Without Giving In
  4. The Lies We Believe and the Grace That We Need
  5. Reassessing, Rebuilding, and Rekindling Joy
  6. Parenting on Empty
  7. The Church, the Crowd, and the Friends Who Stayed
  8. Dating and the R Word
  9. Hope on the Horizon

Questions for Personal Reflection or Discussion

Appendix: How to Show Up When a Friend's Marriage Ends

Appendix: Some Helpful Forms for Communicating with Friends and Church 

Appendix: Helpful Resources on What the Bible Teaches 


Endorsements

Vaneetha takes on a sensitive, deeply personal, potentially embarrassing reality with clarity and honesty yet without rancor or malice. As someone who has been through a divorce in similar circumstances to hers, I can attest to the painful yet healing accuracy of her wisdom in these pages. And I can attest to the unfailing hope she points the reader to in Christ, without flippancy or pat answers. Prior to this book, I knew of no books on divorce I would actually be willing to hand to a person navigating that devastating reality. Now I have one, and I am grateful for it!


Barnabas Piper Author and podcaster

No one begins a marriage saying, ‘I sure hope I’ll get to walk through a divorce,’ and yet so many of us end up facing the realities of shattered dreams and broken promises. Once again, my friend Vaneetha Risner has parlayed her suffering into deep understanding, scriptural fidelity, and gracious blessing. I strongly recommend this resource, for those who are facing divorce and also for those who are seeking to help.


Elyse Fitzpatrick Author and Speaker

Our God hates divorce. So do his people. We grieve the sin and profound hurt that lead to and come from divorces. As Jesus says, it was not this way from the beginning. Yet mourn them as we do, they happen, and so tragically often in our day, and many of Christ’s people are left aching and searching for Christian counsel in their devastation. Vaneetha has not only walked with faith through this devastation but has been courageous enough to answer the call to help other Christians who are hurting. This book is no celebration of divorce but an offer of real, solid Christian hope in the midst of one of life’s greatest anguishes. I pray this book will help you move forward in Jesus and draw closer to him in your pain.”

David Mathis Executive Editor at desiringGod.org and author of Habits of Grace

Customer Reviews

5.00 stars A Wonderful, Practical Guide to Healing

  Reviewer Program Member

This is an abridged version of my original review, which is available here: https://www.lifeisstory.com/nonfiction/this-was-never-the-plan-walking-with-god-through-the-heartache-of-divorce-vaneetha-rendall-risner/

This book is full of wisdom for Christians who are navigating an unwanted separation or divorce. Author Vaneetha Rendall Risner shares vulnerable stories and insights from her own experiences, and she unpacks common struggles that Christians face. For example, she writes about ways that Christians might question where God is in all of this, especially if they expected a healthy, thriving marriage as a reward for ...

Continue Reading

5.00 stars Compassion and Healing

  Reviewer Program Member

In This Was Never the Plan, Vaneetha Rendall Risner shows you how to walk with God through the heartache of divorce. Having experienced divorce herself, she writes not only as an honest guide but also as a comforting friend.

I was most challenged by her discussion of battling bitterness—how to move beyond it and embrace the freedom of forgiveness. It made me reflect on my own need to forgive and be forgiven, and the power that this holds. I was ...

Continue Reading

5.00 stars Very Understanding

 

This is a deeply personal and compassionate exploration of faith in the aftermath of divorce. Drawing from her own experience, the writer offers a blend of memoir, biblical reflection, and practical guidance aimed at Christians navigating the emotional turmoil of a broken marriage.

I got this book for someone who is going through the process of Divorce and wanted to read it first before giving it to them. This book I found very helpful myself as I pastor someone through ...

Continue Reading

Write a Review