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Jun 22, 2026
Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken (Sydney Anne Bennett)
A Young Woman Facing A Neurological Disorder Is A Case Study In Theodicy
Summary
At age 22, Sydney’s Bennett’s brain stopped communicating with her body correctly; she was suffering from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition in which the nervous system stops sending or interpreting signals the right way. Suddenly this bright, beautiful, college girl, recently married, was having seizures, numbness, difficulty moving. Soon she needed a cane, then a wheelchair. But, when we are weak, we are strong, and she found her rock in Jesus our cornerstone. Today she is a faithful and faith-filled advocate, mother of two, and (in the view of your host) present-day Job; and Job reminds us, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
- Sydney’s book, Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken, on Amazon, and also from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, where you can listen to the first chapter of the audio book.
The episode of Almost Good Catholics with Mako Fujimura talking about kintsugi (which I excerpted):
- Mako Fujimura on Almost Good Catholics, episode 14: The Silence of God: The Meaning of Our Suffering and Redemption
Other related Almost Good Catholics episodes about the Book of Job and the meaning of suffering:
- Jonathon Fessenden on Almost Good Catholics, episode 58: The Book of Job: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
- Brian Zahnd on Almost Good Catholics, episode 112: The Tree of Life: “no one who loves the way of Grace ever comes to a bad end.”
Related Topics
Your Host
Krzysztof Odyniec
Krzysztof Odyniec is a historian of Medieval and Early Modern Europe; he is also the host of the 'Almost Good Catholics' podcast.
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