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In her new bestselling book, “Nothing Is Impossible with God,” anchor, attorney and author Shannon Bream tells the story of 11 heroes of the Bible, including two of everyone’s favorites: Joseph and Moses.
But she begins the book with a story of her own, overcoming, at the age of 39, severe, persistent eye pain that was causing her to become quite depressed. With her hope petering out, message boards led her to seek out one last cornea specialist, Dr. Thomas Clinch of Eye Doctors of Washington.
The fact that she only got in to see him right away because he had a cancellation was another sign from God. Indeed, Clinch was himself one of God’s messengers, as he diagnosed her with a condition other doctors had missed: map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy, also known as Cogan’s dystrophy. This condition involves tiny erosive scratches on the surface of the cornea. The outer cornea sticks to the lower layers and begins to rub off, especially during deep sleep. Clinch’s treatment was Muro 128 ointment to use at night, eye drops, and tear duct plugs to help her eyes retain moisture.
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Shannon Bream is one of the kindest, most sincere, humble yet intelligent anchors, authors and lawyers you could ever meet. Her gratitude to God for her reclaimed life following her successful treatment is palpable. It also leads directly to the stories of this important book, where her strong faith motivates her to seek and explore the biblical heroes who inspire her the most.
Shannon Bream anchors ” Sunday” on Channel. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
She has an important take on Moses, a story that began “with a bold, brave mother who defied the law of the day requiring all Hebrew male babies to be thrown into the Nile River — a certain death.”
Of course, Moses’s mother and the midwives didn’t comply. He was hidden and then placed in a basket, which Pharaoh’s daughter famously found, and he went on to become her adopted son. But as Bream points out, he never lost the link to his own people, killing an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew.
When Pharaoh learned of this, he tried to kill Moses, who became a fugitive. Shannon’s analysis of Moses’s life is filled with insight: “Moses was faithful, working for his father-in-law as a shepherd. We see no grumbling about how great life used to be at the palace, no daydreaming about going back to the life of a prince — just the methodical work of a dutiful man. God can and will show up whenever you are laboring, whether or not you think anyone else is aware of your diligence.”
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Here, Bream is referring to the burning bush, and as she does throughout the book, she quotes from the Bible: “God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’” (Exodus 3:1-4)
“I am nearly 100 percent certain I would not have had such a calm reaction,” Bream writes, combining her personal irony with a reverence for scripture, as she does throughout the book. She does it again with the Exodus itself, writing: “But the Lord had a plan that wouldn’t look like any other rebellion in history. It would start with what any strategist would tell you is a terrible mistake — letting your enemy know you’re coming.”
Indeed, as God told Moses: “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10)
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When it comes to her chapter on Joseph in Genesis, Bream again personalizes a section of the Bible. When his brothers (who kidnapped him and sold him into slavery) came to visit Egypt to get grain in the legendary famine, they didn’t recognize him.
Bream describes Joseph’s weeping because he understood what his brothers were saying in Hebrew, of course, despite his show of using an interpreter and speaking Egyptian as his primary language to preserve his disguise. And despite Joseph’s mistrust and hurt, he still treated them with hesed (loving kindness). But their own guilty consciences made Joseph’s kindness seem sinister to them.
And quoting Genesis 42:28 — “Their hearts sank, and they turned to each other, trembling, and said, ‘What is this that God has done to us?’”
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Above all, Shannon Bream preserves the sense of the Bible as the great narrative it is, filled with inspirational heroes, leaders and prophets.
Her own life of overcoming makes her the perfect person to write this compelling book.
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